But they do interfere with what you can see, and they were told to see and avoid
Every runway at washington national is in a different direction, it would be a different approach entirely and not a last minute change
Jets head toward their expected pattern from quite a few miles out. Tower changed their runway, so they needed to adjust. You’re right that there’s no indication it was last minute, but it was a change from their plan and change brings risk
The helicopter pilot seeing the wrong plane is a likely explanation. There were other planes in the area. The controller warned of the traffic. The pilot confirmed having the plane in sight.
Distance and heading can be difficult to judge, especially in the clutter at low altitude. Maybe they saw a different plane. Maybe they saw a parking lot light
The helicopter was flying at 300-400 feet. The buildings to the southeast are shorter than that. Those areas are 3-4 story sparse developments not highrises. The plane was above and descending. It would be seen against the night sky. There would be no buildings near where the helicopter would be looking for the plane.
Landing approaches are started from specific navaids. This plane was not off course because it was given a different arrival route than expected.
The airspace around DC is some of the most restricted in the world. Routes into the national airport are very tight with little allowance for error. Most of the routes come in over the river to avoid overflying government buildings, and the involved plane had a sharp left final over the river. The plane may have turned when the helicopter wasn’t expecting it.
This is all speculation. Investigations into things like this are thorough. It is far to early to assign blame to anyone involved.
Yep so that may not have helped
But they do interfere with what you can see, and they were told to see and avoid
Jets head toward their expected pattern from quite a few miles out. Tower changed their runway, so they needed to adjust. You’re right that there’s no indication it was last minute, but it was a change from their plan and change brings risk
Distance and heading can be difficult to judge, especially in the clutter at low altitude. Maybe they saw a different plane. Maybe they saw a parking lot light
The helicopter was flying at 300-400 feet. The buildings to the southeast are shorter than that. Those areas are 3-4 story sparse developments not highrises. The plane was above and descending. It would be seen against the night sky. There would be no buildings near where the helicopter would be looking for the plane.
Landing approaches are started from specific navaids. This plane was not off course because it was given a different arrival route than expected.
The airspace around DC is some of the most restricted in the world. Routes into the national airport are very tight with little allowance for error. Most of the routes come in over the river to avoid overflying government buildings, and the involved plane had a sharp left final over the river. The plane may have turned when the helicopter wasn’t expecting it.
This is all speculation. Investigations into things like this are thorough. It is far to early to assign blame to anyone involved.