NTSB animation on DCA midair collision

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I know the previous topic was locked for various reasons. But here's an official video on it. I don't know if the old topic can be reopened. Or this one gets locked too? But the video is interesting.

 
Helo was too high and too far right to their intended course. The female pilot outranked the instructor but shouldn't the instructor have command of the helo?
 
Helo was too high and too far right to their intended course. The female pilot outranked the instructor but shouldn't the instructor have command of the helo?

I believe he was pilot in command and rank didn't matter. He was the instructor and the one in charge. I'm pretty sure that's common in US Army aviation.

I've heard of transfers where a higher officer might be trained by a lower ranking instructor on new (to the student) equipment.
 
The most important part. They tested 3 other UH-60Ls from the 12th battalion.

All 3 test choppers showed the same 80-130’ lower indicated altitude (once airborne) than actual MSL altitude. It’s quite possible the crash chopper was flying exactly the indicated altitude they were supposed to be.

IMG_7445.webp


IMG_7444.webp
 
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I never relied on the barometric altimeter when flying low level - it was always RADALT. Set the bug at 80’ 9 and if it chirped, tweak the pitch just a hair. Got pretty good at telling exactly how high I was without the RADALT - but I would never have used baro.

Baro doesn't compensate for height above terrain, and baro gets wonky at very high speed. Admittedly, that latter point isn’t an issue in a rotorcraft, but the rotor downwash and pressure changes could be causing errors - I still am shocked if they followed baro thinking it was accurate.
 
I believe he was pilot in command and rank didn't matter. He was the instructor and the one in charge. I'm pretty sure that's common in US Army aviation.

I've heard of transfers where a higher officer might be trained by a lower ranking instructor on new (to the student) equipment.
Yes it should have been his aircraft but he suggested that she turn left, then used the word "Mam" as in acquiescing. She said yes I got it. But she didn't. She should have been on the opposite side of the river from Reagan.
 
He was an IP (instructor pilot) she just an ordinary pilot. She out ranked him in grade only, her a commissioned officer and him a chief warrant officer. So during this training event he was in charge but still has to show proper courtesy to a senior officer. Since altimeters are checked yearly and tested via a pitot test by QC PERSONNEL, seems to me the AVIM QC department needs to be investigated, because it’s BS that that many aircraft had bad altimeters.
 
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