As investigators look into the deadly midair collision between an Army helicopter and an American Airlines jet, several questions remain.
Mark Roberts, a retired American Airlines pilot with 40 years of experience, spoke about some of the challenges both crews faced.
“I’m sure nighttime had an impact on this situation. No question about that. At nighttime, you’re not looking at the entire airplane; you’re looking at the navigation lights and rotating lights on the plane to determine the direction of flight and motion,” Roberts said.
Watch previous coverage: Rep. Kiggans, former pilot, says nighttime aviation is challenging in relation to DC plane crash
Roberts said the tragedy at Ronald Reagan National Airport came as a shock. He has flown in and out of Reagan National hundreds of times and has never seen anything like this.
Since his retirement, Roberts has served as a flight instructor at Elizabeth City State University, making it his mission to teach young aviators how to do the job.
“This is a common issue of going in and out of airports: we’re operating airplanes close together in and out of the airport,” Roberts said.
Virginia Congresswoman Jen Kiggans, a former military helicopter pilot, said technology on military aircraft will be a big focus for her moving forward.
Watch previous coverage: Passengers flying through ORF saddened, express concern after deadly plane crash in DC
"As a person who sits on the Armed Services Committee and does a lot of talking about making sure we're getting the best, brightest, and latest technology to the warfighter, I want to make sure we're using that. Especially in dynamic environments like that. This isn't a wartime setting; this is a civilian airport, but a very busy one. So, making sure that our military is equipped with the latest and greatest technology is essential,” Kiggans said.
Black boxes help investigators determine what happened during a crash, but Kiggans said the military helicopter that collided with the plane did not have a black box.
The National Transportation Safety Board has not yet determined what caused the helicopter to collide with the American Airlines jet, but it will release a report on its investigation within the next 30 days.
