Helicopter that crashed into a passenger plane near Washington, D.C., was being used as a taxi for dignitaries - WSJ

The Black Hawk helicopter that collided with the passenger plane near Washington, D.C., was used as a "taxi" for Washington's VIPs. He belonged to the relevant aviation brigade, which is responsible for the transportation of dignitaries and ensuring the continuity of government operations.

This is reported by The Wall Street Journal. It is reported that the US Army Black Hawk helicopter was practicing one of the key tasks of the unit: transporting senior US leaders to a safe zone in the event of an attack on the country's capital.

"However, Wednesday's tragic collision between a military helicopter and a commercial airliner, which killed 67 people, highlighted the risks associated with flying complex training missions in Washington's congested airspace and raised questions about the unit's more routine role in transporting dignitaries around Washington," the article says.

On January 31, the Federal Aviation Administration indefinitely suspended most helicopters near Ronald Reagan National Airport, and the 12th Aviation Battalion, to which Black Hawk belonged, was ordered to suspend flights until Saturday.

However, the Department of Transportation subsequently amended the order and extended the flight suspension until the National Transportation Safety Board completes its initial investigation into the cause of the crash, which is likely to take several weeks.

So far, the names of the two Black Hawk pilots have been announced - Senior Warrant Officer 2nd Class Andrew Lloyd Eaves and Staff Sergeant Ryan Austin O'Gara. The U.S. Army did not name the third crew member, a woman, at the request of her family.

The 12th Aviation Battalion has a long history of flying dignitaries to and from hot spots, from Vietnam to Lebanon. Today, the unit operates primarily in the United States and is also responsible for "continuity of operations" so that the government can continue to operate in the event of an event like September 11, 2001.

To recap: On January 29, a PSA Airlines Bombardier CRJ700 collided with a Black Hawk helicopter near Ronald Reagan National Airport in Washington, DC. As a result of the accident, the passenger side fell into the water.

The plane was carrying 60 passengers and four crew members, and the Black Hawk helicopter was carrying three soldiers. All of them died in the crash.

The U.S. Department of Defense is investigating the collision of a Black Hawk military helicopter with a passenger plane. Due to the incident, the US military command decided to impose a 48-hour flight ban on the aviation unit to which the helicopter belonged.

Two black boxes were recovered from the plane, which collided with an army Black Hawk helicopter near Washington, DC. Preliminary, the Black Hawk was flying 100 feet (30.5 meters) above the maximum permissible altitude and deviated from the established route along the eastern bank of the Potomac River.

As reported by OBOZ.UA, a small plane crashed in Philadelphia (Pennsylvania, USA) on Friday evening, January 31. It crashed near the Roosevelt Mall, setting cars and houses on fire.

Six people died in this plane crash, including a girl who had been discharged home after a long treatment. The doctors were so impressed with her fight for her health that they all accompanied her on the flight that turned out to be fatal.

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