• WHARRGARBL@lemmy.world
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      6 months ago

      Not only that, Delta Air spent $3.8 million to lobby for more slots. United, Alaska, and American Airlines objected because experts have been arguing for years that Reagan is dangerously overcrowded and had been experiencing near-misses.

      Anyway, Delta got what they wanted and just last month the airport started allowing more flights.

  • Catoblepas@lemmy.blahaj.zone
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    6 months ago

    “Both pilots had flown this specific route before, at night. This wasn’t something new to either one of them,” said Jonathan Koziol, chief of staff for Army aviation. “Even the crew chief in the back has been in the unit for a very long time, very familiar with the area, very familiar with the routing structure.”

    They’re saying that to imply that therefor they’re not at fault, but if anything routine makes you more likely to make mistakes. I’m sure the staffing problems didn’t help either. I guess we’ll see when the report comes out, if the black boxes survived.

    • Flying Squid@lemmy.world
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      6 months ago

      Maybe they are at fault, but I would say firing a bunch of people at the FAA was a more likely reason.

      • Catoblepas@lemmy.blahaj.zone
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        6 months ago

        There are conflicting reports about whether or not the staffing was normal when it happened, but it wouldn’t shock me at all if staffing was an issue just because it’s been an ongoing issue in the US in general for years. I don’t think it’s a coincidence that this happened after Trump was inaugurated and not before, but given DC airspace it’s possible this was a bomb waiting to go off anyway.

  • Boomer Humor Doomergod@lemmy.world
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    6 months ago

    The data shows the helicopter well above the maximum altitude - 350 feet instead of 200. I don’t think the staffing was the problem.

  • Pieisawesome@lemmy.world
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    6 months ago

    I don’t understand why it’s normal procedure to fly over an active airport with a helicopter.

    That seems destined to have issues

    Can’t they just fly around it?

  • lennybird@lemmy.world
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    6 months ago

    I’m confused because Snopes is saying they’re now saying staffing was in control? Wondering who got pressured to change their report.

    • Xanthobilly@lemmy.world
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      6 months ago

      Dude, quit reading Snopes for fact-based information, it was recently sold and the people who originally owned it are gone. Iirc it was bought by a media corporation that has bias.

      • Chip_Rat@lemmy.world
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        6 months ago

        goes to snopes to check the validity of this claim… Wait…

        Is that the case? I remember in the mid 90’s scrolling through each entry, usually the urban legends and spooky sections, reading late into the night, occasionally shitting myself because every 15th page had sound effects or midi music.

        Over the last 5 or so years I’ve watched people claim it isn’t accurate and can’t be trusted anymore, but the people claiming that were always… Well…idiots. Clearly just wanted to chose their own facts.

        Do you have a link or something about this more recent development?

        Edit: read the wiki page, but yeah, not much about who the new owners are. Just that the original owners are gone. So anyone with an article or other link/source so I can read up.