Former pilot sheds light on challenges in DC airspace
RICHMOND, Va. (WRIC) -- The recent mid-air collision near Ronald Reagan National Airport has reignited concerns about the complexities of navigating Washington, D.C. airspace. This busy hub for commercial flights, military operations and restricted areas creates a challenging environment for pilots. Veteran pilot Jeff Ottaviano, who previously flew for regional airlines like United and Delta, offers a unique perspective from the cockpit. He emphasized the heightened focus required by pilots, especially when flying over Reagan National Airport at night. “You've got all the lights from D.C., Alexandria, all around Reagan National Airport. And it can be hard to pick out, you know, just two little aircraft lights,” Ottaviano said. Ottaviano himself has experienced close calls, including an incident while flying to Baltimore. He recalled a plane taking off from Reagan National that came dangerously close to his aircraft. "I got extremely upset with air traffic control and got on the ground and called them and, you know, was pretty upset about it," Ottaviano said. "They were like, 'Well, we looked at the tapes and you guys still had a mile and a half separation', which was not accurate." Pilots rely on air traffic control and their terrain collision avoidance system which alerts them when there's a possible mid-air collision. "If it [terrain collision avoidance system] says climb, climb. You hit the throttles and you start pulling back on the stack and you climb, you don't question it, you don't look around or anything because it's telling you you've got a matter of seconds before you could be in a mid-air collision," Ottaviano said. However, the avoidance system's effectiveness diminishes at lower altitudes. "If you hit another aircraft 400 feet off the ground, there's no chance of recovery. At that altitude, they were likely in the water within two seconds," Ottavaino said, recalling Wednesday night's crash near Reagan National Airport. Investigators are still piecing together the events leading up to the crash. The Army confirmed the Black Hawk helicopter pilots were experienced. However, the helicopter was reportedly flying at 350 feet, which is higher than the mandated minimum altitude of 200 feet. Communication also appears to be a potential factor. Reports indicate that just before the crash, the helicopter acknowledged the presence of the plane, and air traffic control diverted the plane to a different runway. This raised questions about a possible breakdown in communication or situational awareness. “Were they [soldiers] under night vision goggles or, distracted," said Ottaviano “Night vision goggles actually restrict your eyesight to about 40 degrees either side and not the full 90.” Ottaviano said no plane accident or incident happens without a chain of events. "There's a human factor in it for sure," he said. “That air chain does get broken on lots of flights. We have one of the safest industries in the world. But in this case, it looks like, you know, unfortunately, that that didn't happen.”
VENN
RICHMOND, Va. (WRIC) -- The recent mid-air collision near Ronald Reagan National Airport has reignited concerns about the complexities of navigating Washington, D.C. airspace. This busy hub for commercial flights, military operations and restricted areas creates a challenging environment for pilots.
Veteran pilot Jeff Ottaviano, who previously flew for regional airlines like United and Delta, offers a unique perspective from the cockpit. He emphasized the heightened focus required by pilots, especially when flying over Reagan National Airport at night.
“You've got all the lights from D.C., Alexandria, all around Reagan National Airport. And it can be hard to pick out, you know, just two little aircraft lights,” Ottaviano said.
Ottaviano himself has experienced close calls, including an incident while flying to Baltimore. He recalled a plane taking off from Reagan National that came dangerously close to his aircraft.
"I got extremely upset with air traffic control and got on the ground and called them and, you know, was pretty upset about it," Ottaviano said. "They were like, 'Well, we looked at the tapes and you guys still had a mile and a half separation', which was not accurate."
Pilots rely on air traffic control and their terrain collision avoidance system which alerts them when there's a possible mid-air collision.
"If it [terrain collision avoidance system] says climb, climb. You hit the throttles and you start pulling back on the stack and you climb, you don't question it, you don't look around or anything because it's telling you you've got a matter of seconds before you could be in a mid-air collision," Ottaviano said.
However, the avoidance system's effectiveness diminishes at lower altitudes.
"If you hit another aircraft 400 feet off the ground, there's no chance of recovery. At that altitude, they were likely in the water within two seconds," Ottavaino said, recalling Wednesday night's crash near Reagan National Airport.
Investigators are still piecing together the events leading up to the crash. The Army confirmed the Black Hawk helicopter pilots were experienced. However, the helicopter was reportedly flying at 350 feet, which is higher than the mandated minimum altitude of 200 feet.
Communication also appears to be a potential factor. Reports indicate that just before the crash, the helicopter acknowledged the presence of the plane, and air traffic control diverted the plane to a different runway. This raised questions about a possible breakdown in communication or situational awareness.
“Were they [soldiers] under night vision goggles or, distracted," said Ottaviano “Night vision goggles actually restrict your eyesight to about 40 degrees either side and not the full 90.”
Ottaviano said no plane accident or incident happens without a chain of events.
"There's a human factor in it for sure," he said. “That air chain does get broken on lots of flights. We have one of the safest industries in the world. But in this case, it looks like, you know, unfortunately, that that didn't happen.”
