Black Hawk helicopter pilot in AZ remarks on D.C. plane crash
AZ Black Hawk pilot remarks on D.C. plane crash
The midair crash in Washington D.C. is having ripple effects across the country. A Colonel and pilot at the Papago Park Military Reservation in Phoenix is talking about how they keep safe in the air when taking off so close to Phoenix's Sky Harbor Airport. FOX 10's Brian Webb has this story.
PHOENIX - The midair crash in Washington D.C. is having ripple effects across the country, including the fear of flying.
What we know:
An American Airlines flight and Black Hawk helicopter collided above the Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport on the night of Wednesday, Jan. 29.
Local perspective:
Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport is one of the busiest airports in the nation, and there’s a military base with helicopters just miles away.
Nearly a dozen near misses have been in the headlines lately, and the feds just finished a study on the issue. The findings, according to an aviation attorney, were not if, but when, a midair collision would happen.
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An American Airlines passenger plane collided with an Army Blackhawk flight near Reagna National Airport late Wednesday night.
Dig deeper:
A Black Hawk helicopter came to the rescue last summer during massive flooding at Havasupai Falls. It launched from the Papago Park Military Reservation (PPMR) in Phoenix.
Col. Paul G. Harrell is a pilot and director of safety at PPMR.
"Your heart goes out to every one of those folks that’s involved," he said on Jan. 30.
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Officials do not believe anyone survived the midair collision between an American Airlines passenger jet and a military helicopter over Ronald Reagan National Airport near Washington, D.C. on Wednesday night. Ron Hoon and Syleste Rodriguez talk about the latest news headlines.
He says the Black Hawks here are used in constant training, similar to the training the military crew in D.C. was doing. Sometimes, they take several flights a day.
Training, equipment and communication are key to successful training.
"When I take off from here, we’re talking to Sky Harbor and get a clearance to takeoff from here. We have established corridors throughout the Valley to ensure that we have separation from fixed-wing aircraft," Col. Harrell said.
The National Guard base is actually within the Sky Harbor flight area just less than four miles away. So, when one of the helicopters takes off from there, they’re not only communicating with military personnel, but with civilians at air traffic control.
PPMR and Sky Harbor are about five miles away from each other.