A flight simulator has recreated the route of the Black Hawk which collided with a plane in the skies over Washington DC, killing dozens of people. The world was horrified after the American Airlines passenger flight from Wichita, Kansas, crashed into the Black Hawk chopper while landing at Washington Reagan National Airport early yesterday morning. Sixty-seven people are believed to have died in the tragedy as an investigation got underway - although President Donald Trump has already decided the cause.
A day after the horror crash a Sky News reporter was taken on a simulator ride by first Voyager Flight Simulation co-owner Paul Lang of the helicopter’s trip. This was followed by retired training pilot Andy Lee showing him the route into the airport the American Airline plane would have taken - before its sudden, tragic, stop. Mr Lang, having piloted the simulated helicopter, said “Just about here, at this height”, meaning where the Black Hawk had been when the collision happened. When asked by the reporter if the crew would have known much about the crash, he answered: “No, not until it actually happened I reckon.” Mr Lee said in the second trip, aboard the plane: “Suddenly, this is where the flight ended.”.
The crash is the deadliest incident involving an aircraft in the United States since the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001. Youth ice dance partners Angela Yang and Sean Kay were last night identified as two of the youngest victims of the crash. The two children were seen as rising stars within the sport, and recently won gold medals at a regional ice dance final. A top Army aviation official said the Black Hawk crew was "very experienced" and familiar with the congested flying that occurs daily around Washington. Jonathan Koziol, chief of staff for Army aviation said: "Both pilots had flown this specific route before, at night. This wasn't something new to either one of them. 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.
On Thursday, US President Donald Trump bizarrely suggested "diversity hires" in air traffic control could be the cause of the crash. The president alleged, without evidence, that "people with severe intellectual and psychiatric disabilities" had been recruited to the Federal Aviation Administration to manage air traffic. He said: "I do want to point out that various articles that appeared prior to my entering office. And here's one, the FAA's diversity push includes focus on hiring people with severe intellectual and psychiatric disabilities. That is amazing.”.
