Zone1 NTSB considering erroneous Black Hawk altimeter readings ahead of CRJ700 collision

[NewsVine_Mariyam]

The impression I received from everything I was hearing & reading was that this was completely unexpected by both flight crews as well as air traffic control meaning this wasn't just a screwup. I had a sense that the Black Hawk pilot, for whatever reason, didn't realize that where she was, was way beyond the 200 foot ceiling restriction for helicopters in that area. This is what caused me to wonder if perhaps she was getting an erroneous reading from her altimeter.

Accident investigators are seeking to determine the accuracy of cockpit altimeter readings presented to pilots of the Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk that collided with a MHIRJ CRJ700 regional jet near Ronald Reagan Washington National airport on 29 January.​

​

During an investigation update on 14 February, NTSB officials say they are yet unable to determine what altitude was shown on the Black Hawk’s altimeters because that data was not captured by the aircraft’s flight data recorder (FDR).​

​

But the FDR did reveal an invalid figure for “pressure altitude”, which feeds the cockpit altimeters and other systems, says NTSB branch chair Sean Payne.​

​

“This is bad data,” Payne says. “We are working to determine if this bad data for pressure altitude only affected the FDR, or if it was more pervasive throughout the helicopter’s other systems.”​

​

“We will have an answer to what altitude the pilots saw in their gauges as they were flying,” he adds.​

Continued here:
NTSB considering erroneous Black Hawk altimeter readings ahead of CRJ700 collision

 

[alang1216]

The impression I received from everything I was hearing & reading was that this was completely unexpected by both flight crews as well as air traffic control meaning this wasn't just a screwup. I had a sense that the Black Hawk pilot, for whatever reason, didn't realize that where she was, was way beyond the 200 foot ceiling restriction for helicopters in that area. This is what caused me to wonder if perhaps she was getting an erroneous reading from her altimeter.

Accident investigators are seeking to determine the accuracy of cockpit altimeter readings presented to pilots of the Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk that collided with a MHIRJ CRJ700 regional jet near Ronald Reagan Washington National airport on 29 January.​

​

During an investigation update on 14 February, NTSB officials say they are yet unable to determine what altitude was shown on the Black Hawk’s altimeters because that data was not captured by the aircraft’s flight data recorder (FDR).​

​

But the FDR did reveal an invalid figure for “pressure altitude”, which feeds the cockpit altimeters and other systems, says NTSB branch chair Sean Payne.​

​

“This is bad data,” Payne says. “We are working to determine if this bad data for pressure altitude only affected the FDR, or if it was more pervasive throughout the helicopter’s other systems.”​

​

“We will have an answer to what altitude the pilots saw in their gauges as they were flying,” he adds.​

That altimeter was obviously a DEI hire.

 

[Dekster]

Generally you set the altimeter to the airport elevation while you are still sitting on the ground so if she was getting the wrong reading, then odds are she forgot to do that. It isn't like they had been flying for hours through pressure fronts that can throw the reading off. They had just taken off.

Anyway, good on the airline captain to have tried to avoid the crash once he saw the blackhawk. Unfortunate ATC didn't give them any warning so they didn't have much time to do it successfully.

 

[CrusaderFrank]

The impression I received from everything I was hearing & reading was that this was completely unexpected by both flight crews as well as air traffic control meaning this wasn't just a screwup. I had a sense that the Black Hawk pilot, for whatever reason, didn't realize that where she was, was way beyond the 200 foot ceiling restriction for helicopters in that area. This is what caused me to wonder if perhaps she was getting an erroneous reading from her altimeter.

Accident investigators are seeking to determine the accuracy of cockpit altimeter readings presented to pilots of the Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk that collided with a MHIRJ CRJ700 regional jet near Ronald Reagan Washington National airport on 29 January.​

​

During an investigation update on 14 February, NTSB officials say they are yet unable to determine what altitude was shown on the Black Hawk’s altimeters because that data was not captured by the aircraft’s flight data recorder (FDR).​

​

But the FDR did reveal an invalid figure for “pressure altitude”, which feeds the cockpit altimeters and other systems, says NTSB branch chair Sean Payne.​

​

“This is bad data,” Payne says. “We are working to determine if this bad data for pressure altitude only affected the FDR, or if it was more pervasive throughout the helicopter’s other systems.”​

​

“We will have an answer to what altitude the pilots saw in their gauges as they were flying,” he adds.​

Continued here:
NTSB considering erroneous Black Hawk altimeter readings ahead of CRJ700 collision

View attachment 1078953

It's was a guys voice who answered back

It sure looked like the Blackhawk was on a kamikaze mission

WHY ALLOW HELICOPTERS TO FLY THROUGH THAT AIR SPACE AT ALL??????

 

[PeterPilot]

The other complicating factor is that the crew was wearing night vision goggles over a populated area with significant whiteout coming from the lights on the ground.

Most accidents come from human error, not mechanical failure. This one was multiple failures of humans, the helicopter crew and the ATC.

 

[Seymour Flops]

Typically the first go-to to explain any crash is "pilot error." This is most convenient for everyone involved, especially the bosses of the investigators. Pilot error means that there is no systemic problem needing correction.

In this case, with the flight commander clearly being there due to a combination of DEI and political patronage, blaming the pilot is not the first go to. Because the commander herself is an indication of a systemic problem.

None of that means that her altimeter was working perfectly. What it means is that we should take with a grain of salt any pat answer that exonerates everyone concerned.

 

[MarathonMike]

It's was a guys voice who answered back

It sure looked like the Blackhawk was on a kamikaze mission

WHY ALLOW HELICOPTERS TO FLY THROUGH THAT AIR SPACE AT ALL??????

That's what I've been saying too. Why is it considered "safe" for a helicopter to flying with commercial jets landing or taking off 100 feet above them? That is insane!!

 

[RoshawnMarkwees]

WHY ALLOW HELICOPTERS TO FLY THROUGH THAT AIR SPACE AT ALL??????

Because it’s the capitol city of the country. Military aircraft would be pertinent to something that significant.
I’ve watched aircraft fly all over DC for decades and there’s never been a mishap like this before so it’s not as hazardous as it might seem. This was a major screwup.

 

[RoshawnMarkwees]

That's what I've been saying too. Why is it considered "safe" for a helicopter to flying with commercial jets landing or taking off 100 feet above them? That is insane!!

Cars drive all over the world with other cars only a few feet away and/or above. No one even thinks about it.

 

[elektra]

She still couldn't of looked both ways before crossing the flight path.

The fact that helicopters cross flight paths this close to runways is the problem.

In this case though, I bet flying under jets us something the pilots do as a right of passage, like having.

 

[PeterPilot]

It was a head on collision essentially.

 

[martybegan]

The impression I received from everything I was hearing & reading was that this was completely unexpected by both flight crews as well as air traffic control meaning this wasn't just a screwup. I had a sense that the Black Hawk pilot, for whatever reason, didn't realize that where she was, was way beyond the 200 foot ceiling restriction for helicopters in that area. This is what caused me to wonder if perhaps she was getting an erroneous reading from her altimeter.

Accident investigators are seeking to determine the accuracy of cockpit altimeter readings presented to pilots of the Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk that collided with a MHIRJ CRJ700 regional jet near Ronald Reagan Washington National airport on 29 January.​

​

During an investigation update on 14 February, NTSB officials say they are yet unable to determine what altitude was shown on the Black Hawk’s altimeters because that data was not captured by the aircraft’s flight data recorder (FDR).​

​

But the FDR did reveal an invalid figure for “pressure altitude”, which feeds the cockpit altimeters and other systems, says NTSB branch chair Sean Payne.​

​

“This is bad data,” Payne says. “We are working to determine if this bad data for pressure altitude only affected the FDR, or if it was more pervasive throughout the helicopter’s other systems.”​

​

“We will have an answer to what altitude the pilots saw in their gauges as they were flying,” he adds.​

Continued here:
NTSB considering erroneous Black Hawk altimeter readings ahead of CRJ700 collision

View attachment 1078953

That may explain the lack of vertical separation, but it doesn't explain them occupying the same horizontal piece of airspace at the same time.

 

[Crepitus]

The impression I received from everything I was hearing & reading was that this was completely unexpected by both flight crews as well as air traffic control meaning this wasn't just a screwup. I had a sense that the Black Hawk pilot, for whatever reason, didn't realize that where she was, was way beyond the 200 foot ceiling restriction for helicopters in that area. This is what caused me to wonder if perhaps she was getting an erroneous reading from her altimeter.

Accident investigators are seeking to determine the accuracy of cockpit altimeter readings presented to pilots of the Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk that collided with a MHIRJ CRJ700 regional jet near Ronald Reagan Washington National airport on 29 January.​

​

During an investigation update on 14 February, NTSB officials say they are yet unable to determine what altitude was shown on the Black Hawk’s altimeters because that data was not captured by the aircraft’s flight data recorder (FDR).​

​

But the FDR did reveal an invalid figure for “pressure altitude”, which feeds the cockpit altimeters and other systems, says NTSB branch chair Sean Payne.​

​

“This is bad data,” Payne says. “We are working to determine if this bad data for pressure altitude only affected the FDR, or if it was more pervasive throughout the helicopter’s other systems.”​

​

“We will have an answer to what altitude the pilots saw in their gauges as they were flying,” he adds.​

Continued here:
NTSB considering erroneous Black Hawk altimeter readings ahead of CRJ700 collision

View attachment 1078953

Sounds like Scapegoating.

 

[NewsVine_Mariyam]

That altimeter was obviously a DEI hire.

Sadly there are many here who will believe you're serious.