For our new visual investigation into how night vision and city lights may have played a part in the DCA crash we flew a drone along the helicopters route, filmed incoming planes through night vision goggles, and analyzed it all within a 3D model of Washington, D.C.
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In deadly D.C. plane crash, city lights may have played a role. See how.
The Post examined the bright skyline around Reagan National Airport and whether it may have been a factor in the January accident, which killed 67 people.
The NTSB has been looking into whether city lights could have made it difficult for the helicopter crew to track the plane. And whether night vision goggles the crew is believed to have been using could have made it even trickier.
For months we have been working to recreate the view from the helicopter cockpit and the light conditions the crew may have encountered.
We flew a drone along the helicopter's route.
We filmed incoming planes through night vision goggles.
We created a 3D model of the D.C. area.
When Air Traffic control first alerted the helciopter to the presence of the plane (CRJ), a larger Airbus was flying behind it. From the heliopter crew's perspectvie, the two planes would have almost overlapped, providing an opportunity from on to be mistaken for the other.
The CRJ was headed toward runway 33, a lesser-used runway which requires an arced approach over the east bank of the Potomac.
Because runway 1 is used around 95% of the time, the helicopter crew could have had expectation bias and have been focused on the Runway 1 approach.
Night vision goggles narrow the field of vision, requiring pilots to continuously scan the sky.
Its from here, 90 seconds before the crash, that we were able to produce our NVG reconstruction. The CRJ arcs over the bright city lights, while the airbus is flying straight over the dark river.
From the helicopter's perspective the CRJ is positioned over the bright lights of the National Harbor.
This waterfront area has become three times brighter in the past 10 years as it has been built up with the addition of the MGM casino, according to a light analysis by The Post.
Our final NVG reconstruction image shows the location of the CRJ just before it's about the turn and fly over the river.
17 seconds before the collision, ATC tells the helicopter to "Pass behind the CRJ". But, the transmission was stepped on, meaning "pass behind" was not audible in the cockpit.
The helicopter crew responds saying they have the aircraft in sight, and again request visual separation.
Transcripts from the helicopter's internal voice recorder show the instructor telling the pilot to come to the left. "We're kinda out towards the middle."
Seconds later, the helicopter collides with the CRJ. A fireball erupts over the river. Air traffic controllers gasp.
All 67 people aboard both aircraft were killed.
