1 00:00:00,640 --> 00:00:03,160 Speaker 1: Can't. I am six forty. You're listening to the John 2 00:00:03,240 --> 00:00:05,520 Speaker 1: Cobel podcast on the iHeartRadio app. 3 00:00:06,320 --> 00:00:09,600 Speaker 2: Mark Thompson here for John Cobelt today and we're reviewing 4 00:00:10,000 --> 00:00:13,840 Speaker 2: some of the details as they become available around this 5 00:00:14,000 --> 00:00:19,440 Speaker 2: horrible midair crash in DC. And because of the clear 6 00:00:19,560 --> 00:00:21,880 Speaker 2: involvement of the military, and it was a military training 7 00:00:21,960 --> 00:00:26,319 Speaker 2: exercise in which this black Hawk helicopter was involved, we 8 00:00:26,360 --> 00:00:28,800 Speaker 2: thought we'd bring in Brian Suits, who just knows such 9 00:00:29,320 --> 00:00:33,760 Speaker 2: great granular detail about so very much that relates to 10 00:00:33,760 --> 00:00:35,559 Speaker 2: the military. And I'm sure you have some takes on 11 00:00:35,600 --> 00:00:36,480 Speaker 2: what happened, Hi, Brian. 12 00:00:37,720 --> 00:00:41,280 Speaker 3: It drips on pranular detail. I'm telling you, Mark, I 13 00:00:41,360 --> 00:00:43,240 Speaker 3: respect you so much. I check you up there, but 14 00:00:43,320 --> 00:00:45,960 Speaker 3: it's here on the phone. 15 00:00:46,760 --> 00:00:49,920 Speaker 2: Wow, that is high praise, thank you, thank you. Well, 16 00:00:49,960 --> 00:00:51,519 Speaker 2: we had to, you know, we had to put up 17 00:00:51,560 --> 00:00:53,560 Speaker 2: the bat beam and get ahold of you today because 18 00:00:53,600 --> 00:00:56,720 Speaker 2: there is so much that seems to overlap with the 19 00:00:56,760 --> 00:00:57,880 Speaker 2: world that you know so well. 20 00:00:58,040 --> 00:00:58,240 Speaker 4: You know. 21 00:00:59,320 --> 00:01:03,160 Speaker 3: Well, here's the thing. I live underneath the approach pattern 22 00:01:03,200 --> 00:01:05,640 Speaker 3: for sea tack. So five thousand feet above me are 23 00:01:05,680 --> 00:01:09,520 Speaker 3: the seven thirty sevens of a year southwest near Alaska, 24 00:01:10,640 --> 00:01:16,680 Speaker 3: I'm about ten miles away from the storied Fort Lewis, 25 00:01:17,560 --> 00:01:21,440 Speaker 3: home of a part of the legendary one to sixtieth 26 00:01:21,680 --> 00:01:25,919 Speaker 3: aviation Special Operations Aviation. I know some of those dudes, 27 00:01:26,240 --> 00:01:30,080 Speaker 3: and they do low level training just below the sea 28 00:01:30,200 --> 00:01:34,720 Speaker 3: tax approach pattern, and they make really sure not to 29 00:01:34,720 --> 00:01:37,840 Speaker 3: get in there. And I have some la fun facts 30 00:01:37,880 --> 00:01:41,640 Speaker 3: for all you military aviation buffs. So that's that's what 31 00:01:41,680 --> 00:01:43,680 Speaker 3: a lucky day did for you. Mark. And my dad's 32 00:01:43,680 --> 00:01:47,160 Speaker 3: retired to traffic control guy, he's dead. It's Julius Caesar. 33 00:01:47,200 --> 00:01:49,280 Speaker 3: But the point is I grew up in an air 34 00:01:49,280 --> 00:01:50,920 Speaker 3: traffic in the FAA household. 35 00:01:51,080 --> 00:01:53,840 Speaker 2: All right, well then you know, spill, spill, spill, give 36 00:01:53,920 --> 00:01:54,560 Speaker 2: us more. 37 00:01:56,040 --> 00:01:58,800 Speaker 3: Yet yet good? I got to say, good reaking information. 38 00:01:58,880 --> 00:02:02,920 Speaker 3: If people remember Reagan versus the Professional Art Traffic Controllers 39 00:02:03,000 --> 00:02:06,800 Speaker 3: Organization PATCO, you remember he fired them, And at that 40 00:02:06,880 --> 00:02:09,280 Speaker 3: time my dad had just retired. My dad did twenty 41 00:02:09,400 --> 00:02:13,440 Speaker 3: nine years in diamond Hood. That's where he did the 42 00:02:13,520 --> 00:02:19,800 Speaker 3: Honolulu Center. He was never in a tower. But no, 43 00:02:19,919 --> 00:02:21,519 Speaker 3: I got to say, because I know a couple of 44 00:02:21,560 --> 00:02:27,639 Speaker 3: these guys, they all do you know several annual tests 45 00:02:28,040 --> 00:02:32,840 Speaker 3: for for night for cross country? Uh, instrument cross country 46 00:02:33,080 --> 00:02:37,240 Speaker 3: visual and all that, but nighttime instrumentation is a huge 47 00:02:37,320 --> 00:02:41,440 Speaker 3: rating because if they lose that, they lose everything. Those 48 00:02:41,480 --> 00:02:46,400 Speaker 3: guys and in d C and they're flying VIPs mainly, 49 00:02:46,480 --> 00:02:50,959 Speaker 3: they're not flying tactical people, and they take that dad 50 00:02:51,080 --> 00:02:53,960 Speaker 3: serious and so when they're up, they're always training. There's 51 00:02:53,960 --> 00:02:57,240 Speaker 3: no such thing as a non training event in the 52 00:02:57,320 --> 00:02:59,600 Speaker 3: DC area. You know they're they're training in at night. 53 00:03:01,000 --> 00:03:04,680 Speaker 3: It happens every day. At the end of the day, 54 00:03:04,440 --> 00:03:06,880 Speaker 3: they take to the sky. They put on nods what 55 00:03:06,919 --> 00:03:10,440 Speaker 3: are called night observation devices or night vision. They put 56 00:03:10,480 --> 00:03:13,720 Speaker 3: on ods their training period, period final. Every all three 57 00:03:13,760 --> 00:03:18,120 Speaker 3: guys on the ur person soldiers on that aircraft pilot, 58 00:03:18,120 --> 00:03:21,120 Speaker 3: co pilot and crew chief are are if they don't 59 00:03:21,160 --> 00:03:24,679 Speaker 3: have the nods over their eyes, one person always has 60 00:03:24,720 --> 00:03:26,400 Speaker 3: them on. So there's that. 61 00:03:27,200 --> 00:03:29,799 Speaker 2: Well, let me just ask you about that with a 62 00:03:29,880 --> 00:03:32,320 Speaker 2: quick follow because we are listening to that lieutenant colonel 63 00:03:32,400 --> 00:03:35,480 Speaker 2: and former Blackhawk pilot. We're listening maybe it's been fifteen 64 00:03:35,520 --> 00:03:38,800 Speaker 2: minutes ago. Here on Kofi was saying that you can 65 00:03:38,880 --> 00:03:41,040 Speaker 2: fly into an area with a lot of city lights, 66 00:03:41,160 --> 00:03:44,400 Speaker 2: which Washington certainly has, and it can be hard to 67 00:03:44,400 --> 00:03:47,880 Speaker 2: differentiate between the aircraft and street lights, you can literally 68 00:03:48,240 --> 00:03:51,640 Speaker 2: just lose. Notwithstanding what you've just said, which is odd 69 00:03:51,680 --> 00:03:55,360 Speaker 2: to me. If they've got these night vision capabilities, I 70 00:03:55,360 --> 00:03:57,800 Speaker 2: don't understand how they do lose sight of something like 71 00:03:57,880 --> 00:03:58,520 Speaker 2: an airliner. 72 00:03:59,520 --> 00:04:01,440 Speaker 3: I wouldn't do it, man, I got to tell you 73 00:04:01,280 --> 00:04:03,440 Speaker 3: you're lucky to get me on a helicopter. I'm sure 74 00:04:03,440 --> 00:04:05,800 Speaker 3: as hell wouldn't do it at night with both the 75 00:04:06,000 --> 00:04:09,920 Speaker 3: both those pilots with nods on. But anyway, so here's 76 00:04:10,120 --> 00:04:13,320 Speaker 3: number one. When you put night out night vision goggles 77 00:04:13,840 --> 00:04:17,040 Speaker 3: nods on, like if you're an infantryman or my case, 78 00:04:17,040 --> 00:04:19,480 Speaker 3: out of the cavalry shout. I have hundreds of hours 79 00:04:19,520 --> 00:04:22,520 Speaker 3: on nods, right, it's disorienting as hell when you're a 80 00:04:22,600 --> 00:04:26,280 Speaker 3: human being under your feet. Thing one and everyone needs 81 00:04:26,279 --> 00:04:29,240 Speaker 3: to know this. Put all your ideas of Buffalo Bill 82 00:04:29,480 --> 00:04:34,720 Speaker 3: another movie movie night vision goggles number one, You have 83 00:04:34,800 --> 00:04:39,320 Speaker 3: no depth perception. Your depth perception disappears and minute you 84 00:04:39,320 --> 00:04:41,839 Speaker 3: put them on, just like you're looking at binoculars. Okay, 85 00:04:41,920 --> 00:04:45,480 Speaker 3: so now you're flying an aircraft with no depth perception. 86 00:04:46,279 --> 00:04:49,200 Speaker 3: All you can do is it enhances light. Night vision 87 00:04:49,680 --> 00:04:52,840 Speaker 3: enhances light. It doesn't invent it doesn't pull it out 88 00:04:52,839 --> 00:04:56,680 Speaker 3: of it. You know it it enhances the light that exists, 89 00:04:57,120 --> 00:05:03,280 Speaker 3: so normal bright white street light will blind you, uh, 90 00:05:03,320 --> 00:05:05,880 Speaker 3: and other like you know, you want to go red 91 00:05:05,960 --> 00:05:08,279 Speaker 3: light on an airplane, or you want to go infrared, 92 00:05:08,920 --> 00:05:14,000 Speaker 3: and even even then like infrared this one time. Now 93 00:05:14,040 --> 00:05:18,520 Speaker 3: you notice an army story. I put on night vision 94 00:05:18,560 --> 00:05:21,960 Speaker 3: goggles and a guy had cracked an infrared kem light 95 00:05:22,400 --> 00:05:25,680 Speaker 3: like it is an infrared rave. He cracked it in 96 00:05:25,720 --> 00:05:27,440 Speaker 3: the middle of the day. Didn't know it was. It 97 00:05:27,480 --> 00:05:30,200 Speaker 3: was cracked open, and it was it blinded me. I 98 00:05:30,279 --> 00:05:32,360 Speaker 3: put on the night vicon goggles. I was a gunner. 99 00:05:32,400 --> 00:05:35,040 Speaker 3: I went down in the driver's hat with the vehicle 100 00:05:35,080 --> 00:05:39,599 Speaker 3: and I went, what the a F? And when everyone 101 00:05:39,640 --> 00:05:41,880 Speaker 3: put them on, they saw what I was saying for. 102 00:05:42,440 --> 00:05:45,360 Speaker 3: It's because we're sitting there with an infrared kem light 103 00:05:45,440 --> 00:05:47,960 Speaker 3: on and was so bright that close to it that 104 00:05:48,000 --> 00:05:50,000 Speaker 3: I mean, that's why you can see him ten miles away, 105 00:05:50,040 --> 00:05:52,320 Speaker 3: not one mile away, but ten miles away. So so 106 00:05:52,480 --> 00:05:55,440 Speaker 3: people need to know when pilots are on their nods, 107 00:05:55,839 --> 00:05:59,040 Speaker 3: they're being tested, they're hopefully the instructor pilot has them 108 00:05:59,080 --> 00:06:02,599 Speaker 3: on too. And so when civilian air type of control says, 109 00:06:03,080 --> 00:06:06,880 Speaker 3: do you see that plane ahead of you? They don't 110 00:06:06,880 --> 00:06:09,440 Speaker 3: know that the pilots are on nods. They don't know 111 00:06:09,440 --> 00:06:13,200 Speaker 3: how disorienting that is. And the pilots are looking ahead 112 00:06:13,839 --> 00:06:17,800 Speaker 3: and you don't know what light they're looking at. I honestly, 113 00:06:18,080 --> 00:06:20,560 Speaker 3: I'm not a helicopter pilot, thank god, but I mean, 114 00:06:20,600 --> 00:06:23,159 Speaker 3: I got to say, I think that there's something to 115 00:06:23,880 --> 00:06:27,480 Speaker 3: the disorientation that happens between the pilots and the civilian 116 00:06:27,520 --> 00:06:30,520 Speaker 3: air type of controllers in the tower. They don't know 117 00:06:30,600 --> 00:06:34,160 Speaker 3: that these guys are looking through MVG through nods, and 118 00:06:34,279 --> 00:06:36,760 Speaker 3: that they don't know what he means by, you know, 119 00:06:36,760 --> 00:06:39,960 Speaker 3: because a civilian airliner you might think it's big. A 120 00:06:40,000 --> 00:06:42,760 Speaker 3: great experience in life is getting on a plane at Burbank. 121 00:06:43,080 --> 00:06:45,640 Speaker 3: You know, you enter the tail if you're smart, But 122 00:06:45,720 --> 00:06:48,599 Speaker 3: I mean, you realize that this seven thirty seven looks 123 00:06:48,640 --> 00:06:52,760 Speaker 3: small when it's flying, but it's pretty huge. Well, this thing, 124 00:06:52,800 --> 00:06:56,680 Speaker 3: the regional jet, the Bombardier aircraft, it's like a big 125 00:06:56,720 --> 00:06:59,680 Speaker 3: Gulf from It's like a gulf Stream six fifty. It's huge. 126 00:06:59,839 --> 00:07:02,560 Speaker 3: It seems like, how can you miss that? Well, you're 127 00:07:02,560 --> 00:07:05,320 Speaker 3: going two hundred miles an hour. You're supposed to be 128 00:07:05,440 --> 00:07:10,000 Speaker 3: underneath him. You're not supposed to enter that approach lane. 129 00:07:10,280 --> 00:07:13,000 Speaker 3: You're supposed to have turned around. The instructor pilot probably 130 00:07:13,040 --> 00:07:15,800 Speaker 3: should have told you or you should know it, and 131 00:07:17,320 --> 00:07:20,080 Speaker 3: you shouldn't be anywhere near him. Because the original report 132 00:07:20,200 --> 00:07:26,400 Speaker 3: was the civilian aircraft descended onto the the the Blackhawk. Well, 133 00:07:26,400 --> 00:07:29,559 Speaker 3: how how the hell does that happen? I remember thinking, Okay, 134 00:07:29,680 --> 00:07:32,960 Speaker 3: that's not what happened, and that's not what happened. When 135 00:07:33,040 --> 00:07:36,400 Speaker 3: people see that video, you see a white light. You 136 00:07:36,440 --> 00:07:39,760 Speaker 3: see that the black Hawk was running with lights on. 137 00:07:39,840 --> 00:07:42,880 Speaker 3: Because it's in civilian airspace. The lights are on. They're 138 00:07:42,880 --> 00:07:47,680 Speaker 3: not in a controlled military air space like Yakama, Washington 139 00:07:47,800 --> 00:07:50,680 Speaker 3: or Port or Win in California. You don't get to 140 00:07:50,760 --> 00:07:55,760 Speaker 3: run with no lights normally. The black Hawks, I've been 141 00:07:55,840 --> 00:08:00,120 Speaker 3: terrified in all the lights are the internal lights and 142 00:08:00,560 --> 00:08:04,080 Speaker 3: like the cockpit will maybe run red lights on the 143 00:08:04,120 --> 00:08:07,440 Speaker 3: instruments so the pilots can read the instruments through red light. 144 00:08:08,000 --> 00:08:10,760 Speaker 3: But they don't have navigation lights on that they normally 145 00:08:10,840 --> 00:08:15,440 Speaker 3: would over La or whatever. But that that's how that 146 00:08:15,520 --> 00:08:17,960 Speaker 3: So these kids are running with navigation lights so that 147 00:08:18,040 --> 00:08:21,200 Speaker 3: other people could see them. But you can't expect the 148 00:08:21,240 --> 00:08:24,080 Speaker 3: pilots of a seven thirty seven or a regional jet 149 00:08:24,680 --> 00:08:27,160 Speaker 3: to you know, they're not a fighter. They can, they can. 150 00:08:27,240 --> 00:08:30,400 Speaker 3: They have a really narrow right now. They're focused on 151 00:08:30,520 --> 00:08:34,960 Speaker 3: landing minutes away. And now they're told, you know that 152 00:08:35,040 --> 00:08:37,360 Speaker 3: there's rotary wing in your area. Okay, I look left, 153 00:08:37,440 --> 00:08:39,720 Speaker 3: look for I don't see it because because the guy's 154 00:08:39,760 --> 00:08:44,079 Speaker 3: a tiny white dot of light. But so anyway, yeah, no, no, no, no. 155 00:08:44,040 --> 00:08:46,800 Speaker 2: Stop right there, because I think I'll see if you 156 00:08:46,800 --> 00:08:48,280 Speaker 2: can stay with us for what we've got to take 157 00:08:48,280 --> 00:08:51,040 Speaker 2: a break. But I did want to ask you about 158 00:08:51,320 --> 00:08:53,760 Speaker 2: some of what you as you're speaking. Some of what 159 00:08:53,760 --> 00:08:57,040 Speaker 2: you're saying really does seem to point to what would 160 00:08:57,080 --> 00:08:59,400 Speaker 2: be a clear and I get the impression that there's 161 00:08:59,440 --> 00:09:01,920 Speaker 2: a lot of stuff that came together to make this happen. 162 00:09:02,480 --> 00:09:07,520 Speaker 2: But it sounds as though those chopper pilots and might 163 00:09:07,559 --> 00:09:11,000 Speaker 2: have really been out of where they were supposed to be, 164 00:09:11,280 --> 00:09:15,439 Speaker 2: and they may have not realized clearly right that they 165 00:09:15,440 --> 00:09:17,880 Speaker 2: were at this altitude. The early reports had them one 166 00:09:17,920 --> 00:09:20,120 Speaker 2: hundred feet higher than they should have been. And what 167 00:09:20,160 --> 00:09:25,200 Speaker 2: you're saying is, yeah, they're usually on an altitude that 168 00:09:25,320 --> 00:09:27,160 Speaker 2: keeps them clear of commuter traffic. 169 00:09:29,280 --> 00:09:32,840 Speaker 3: Here, I am. I have helicopters over at tree top 170 00:09:32,920 --> 00:09:35,959 Speaker 3: level at one am all the time. There are two 171 00:09:36,000 --> 00:09:38,559 Speaker 3: thousand feet below the aircraft. They are the landing at 172 00:09:38,600 --> 00:09:41,160 Speaker 3: Tea Tech. They're never higher than that. I mean, I 173 00:09:41,200 --> 00:09:44,760 Speaker 3: swear these the one sixtieth night Soccers as they're called, 174 00:09:46,640 --> 00:09:49,760 Speaker 3: they're lucky if they're above tree top level. They did 175 00:09:49,760 --> 00:09:53,760 Speaker 3: something wrong. Yeah, and that part training. 176 00:09:53,520 --> 00:09:56,600 Speaker 2: Yeah exactly. It really sounds like at minimum there was 177 00:09:56,640 --> 00:09:58,600 Speaker 2: that going on. We'll finish up with Brian Suits when 178 00:09:58,600 --> 00:10:01,040 Speaker 2: we continue. Mark Thompson for John Cobell and KFI AM 179 00:10:01,080 --> 00:10:03,160 Speaker 2: six forty live everywhere in the iHeartRadio app. 180 00:10:03,840 --> 00:10:08,160 Speaker 5: You're listening to John Cobelt on demand from KFI AM 181 00:10:08,200 --> 00:10:08,760 Speaker 5: six forty. 182 00:10:10,280 --> 00:10:12,599 Speaker 2: I was just looking because got Brian Suits here. For 183 00:10:12,679 --> 00:10:15,080 Speaker 2: the last couple of minutes, we were talking about this 184 00:10:15,160 --> 00:10:17,680 Speaker 2: accident in Washington. Brian, of course, with so much knowledge 185 00:10:17,679 --> 00:10:22,880 Speaker 2: of military and the military apparatus, sort of involved in 186 00:10:22,920 --> 00:10:25,480 Speaker 2: all of this. And I say that in regard not 187 00:10:25,559 --> 00:10:28,880 Speaker 2: just to the Blackhawk, but the fact that Brian was 188 00:10:28,880 --> 00:10:32,079 Speaker 2: talking about the night vision goggles that they were wearing 189 00:10:32,120 --> 00:10:35,520 Speaker 2: and how that actually is restrictive in a sense. It 190 00:10:36,040 --> 00:10:38,319 Speaker 2: was really a fascinating thing to hear you say that, Brian, 191 00:10:38,360 --> 00:10:42,200 Speaker 2: that it doesn't necessarily allow you to see at night 192 00:10:42,320 --> 00:10:45,800 Speaker 2: with the same kind of understood perception that one might have, 193 00:10:45,840 --> 00:10:47,040 Speaker 2: like do you see that over there? 194 00:10:47,120 --> 00:10:48,120 Speaker 4: You were explaining that. 195 00:10:48,400 --> 00:10:51,280 Speaker 2: Well, actually, with those night vision goggles, you oftentimes don't 196 00:10:51,320 --> 00:10:54,280 Speaker 2: see whatever that is over there necessarily. 197 00:10:55,800 --> 00:10:58,120 Speaker 3: Yeah, if it's right in front of you and it's huge, 198 00:10:58,240 --> 00:11:00,679 Speaker 3: you have no sense of that, you know, I mean 199 00:11:00,840 --> 00:11:04,199 Speaker 3: seven forty seven you're going to see the shape, and 200 00:11:04,280 --> 00:11:06,679 Speaker 3: the shape is going to tell you more than your 201 00:11:06,679 --> 00:11:09,200 Speaker 3: perception of the size because you have no depth perception. 202 00:11:09,640 --> 00:11:11,760 Speaker 3: In spite of what people might think of what night vision, 203 00:11:11,960 --> 00:11:15,400 Speaker 3: you know, it's a generation three, it's called now it's phenomenal, 204 00:11:15,720 --> 00:11:19,199 Speaker 3: but you still if you put two binoculars a monocular 205 00:11:19,240 --> 00:11:21,160 Speaker 3: and a left eye a monocular in your right eye, 206 00:11:21,320 --> 00:11:24,800 Speaker 3: you have two monoculars and you can kind of adjust 207 00:11:24,840 --> 00:11:29,920 Speaker 3: them like a binocular for a little bit of stereo effect. 208 00:11:30,040 --> 00:11:32,600 Speaker 3: But it's almost with night vision is an illusion. How 209 00:11:33,400 --> 00:11:35,600 Speaker 3: how FA team hoals do it, I don't know, but 210 00:11:35,679 --> 00:11:38,440 Speaker 3: they do it by training, by the way. 211 00:11:38,800 --> 00:11:41,280 Speaker 2: Yeah, right, exactly, And that training speaks very much to 212 00:11:41,320 --> 00:11:46,040 Speaker 2: what was going on there at at DC. So it's 213 00:11:46,080 --> 00:11:50,760 Speaker 2: interesting you're also mentioning Burbank and Lax in relation to this. 214 00:11:50,840 --> 00:11:52,320 Speaker 2: Could you tie that all together? 215 00:11:53,360 --> 00:11:56,400 Speaker 3: Okay, So the people don't know this. You live in 216 00:11:56,400 --> 00:12:00,000 Speaker 3: the LA area and it's huge. It is a perfect 217 00:12:00,080 --> 00:12:03,920 Speaker 3: training ground for a bunch of different elite Army helicopter 218 00:12:04,000 --> 00:12:08,200 Speaker 3: born units or helicopter helicopter pilots and Marine Corps units 219 00:12:08,960 --> 00:12:11,160 Speaker 3: on on the one. Well, one thing that happens every 220 00:12:11,200 --> 00:12:16,160 Speaker 3: it'll happen tonight at sundown. That happens during sun sun up. 221 00:12:17,040 --> 00:12:20,360 Speaker 3: If you know, Kinga Pass, the one on one that 222 00:12:20,600 --> 00:12:23,800 Speaker 3: is a it's a way to avoid the burbank approach 223 00:12:24,000 --> 00:12:29,480 Speaker 3: and departure pattern when it's southbound. So everything from a 224 00:12:29,559 --> 00:12:34,000 Speaker 3: ospray full of Marines to one of the weird helicopters 225 00:12:34,000 --> 00:12:36,680 Speaker 3: of the Marines have when they come north, they come 226 00:12:36,880 --> 00:12:39,840 Speaker 3: up Congo, they come right through Cooanga Pass one hundred 227 00:12:39,880 --> 00:12:42,400 Speaker 3: feet over one o one. Very common. And I know 228 00:12:42,480 --> 00:12:46,240 Speaker 3: this personally because I used to live on Predonia in 229 00:12:47,160 --> 00:12:54,480 Speaker 3: uh in coinca pass which me and what's his name anyway, well, 230 00:12:54,480 --> 00:12:56,800 Speaker 3: you know, you know, you know the you know one 231 00:12:56,840 --> 00:13:03,440 Speaker 3: celebrity and Hollywood prere is right there. It is made 232 00:13:03,480 --> 00:13:06,840 Speaker 3: by Harpo Marx, a great little, great little neighborhood. But 233 00:13:07,080 --> 00:13:10,280 Speaker 3: if you hear something briefly, you're about to see an ospre, 234 00:13:10,400 --> 00:13:13,280 Speaker 3: You're about to see a sea stallion or a sea 235 00:13:13,440 --> 00:13:16,000 Speaker 3: night or a cobra or whatever. And it's going back 236 00:13:16,120 --> 00:13:19,560 Speaker 3: to Camp Pendleton or it's coming from Camp Pendleton because 237 00:13:19,600 --> 00:13:22,439 Speaker 3: it has to avoid Burbank departure. It has to it 238 00:13:22,480 --> 00:13:25,679 Speaker 3: can't fly through the middle of Burbank approach departure. Just 239 00:13:25,679 --> 00:13:29,960 Speaker 3: for the same reason that pursuit helicopters that are you know, 240 00:13:30,600 --> 00:13:33,680 Speaker 3: doing the Lord's work on my Fox eleven or whatever. 241 00:13:34,000 --> 00:13:36,840 Speaker 3: They have to break off the coverage when when an 242 00:13:36,920 --> 00:13:39,600 Speaker 3: airplane goes through that one large airport. 243 00:13:39,520 --> 00:13:40,160 Speaker 4: Down by. 244 00:13:42,440 --> 00:13:44,839 Speaker 3: You know, down by El Segundo, when they when they 245 00:13:44,840 --> 00:13:48,600 Speaker 3: go through the approach departure and they're on four oh five, 246 00:13:49,360 --> 00:13:51,240 Speaker 3: they have to break out the cover. Police have to 247 00:13:51,240 --> 00:13:54,480 Speaker 3: break it off police helicopters because you can't fly through 248 00:13:54,559 --> 00:14:00,199 Speaker 3: a civilian airspace. So clearly does don't don't crash into 249 00:14:00,240 --> 00:14:00,720 Speaker 3: the plane. 250 00:14:00,880 --> 00:14:04,720 Speaker 2: But in this case they had and apparently do have 251 00:14:05,440 --> 00:14:09,400 Speaker 2: these training exercises going on constantly, either adjacent to or 252 00:14:09,600 --> 00:14:13,760 Speaker 2: through these very spaces you're talking about, which are remember. 253 00:14:13,480 --> 00:14:16,520 Speaker 3: The air The tower guy said, go behind it. I 254 00:14:16,520 --> 00:14:19,600 Speaker 3: mean he said vision. He didn't say, you know you 255 00:14:19,880 --> 00:14:22,640 Speaker 3: was maneuver acts. He said go behind he said visually. 256 00:14:22,880 --> 00:14:27,720 Speaker 3: He already said audio wise, go behind it. Acknowledge. And 257 00:14:27,760 --> 00:14:30,240 Speaker 3: the guy said, okay, Roger, I see it. And the 258 00:14:31,280 --> 00:14:33,800 Speaker 3: shortcoming was, you see what? You see? A light in 259 00:14:33,880 --> 00:14:36,520 Speaker 3: front of you? But I'm describing this one at your 260 00:14:36,560 --> 00:14:39,840 Speaker 3: flight level, at your altitude and your elevation whatever that is. 261 00:14:40,080 --> 00:14:44,520 Speaker 3: But that's your altitude and that's the one controller man 262 00:14:45,800 --> 00:14:50,400 Speaker 3: meet you. Do you see the aircraft going from your 263 00:14:50,480 --> 00:14:54,120 Speaker 3: left to your right, from south to north right in 264 00:14:54,120 --> 00:14:56,600 Speaker 3: front of you? You see you see endless like the 265 00:14:56,600 --> 00:14:59,840 Speaker 3: ahead of you. But he but he took the pilots. 266 00:15:00,360 --> 00:15:00,800 Speaker 4: Let's see it. 267 00:15:00,960 --> 00:15:02,680 Speaker 3: Well, you see what? I don't know what you see? 268 00:15:02,720 --> 00:15:03,160 Speaker 3: You see what? 269 00:15:03,520 --> 00:15:03,800 Speaker 2: Sure? 270 00:15:04,160 --> 00:15:06,560 Speaker 3: And I mean, what do you mean? 271 00:15:06,760 --> 00:15:09,480 Speaker 2: Yeah, even as a layperson, I heard that and I thought, wow, 272 00:15:09,520 --> 00:15:12,520 Speaker 2: that's way too generic. Do you see that? Do you 273 00:15:12,600 --> 00:15:14,760 Speaker 2: see it? Do you see what I mean? It's just 274 00:15:14,960 --> 00:15:18,440 Speaker 2: way way too generic. Brian, I knew, yeah, I just 275 00:15:18,520 --> 00:15:20,320 Speaker 2: knew you'd be able to shed some light on this, 276 00:15:20,480 --> 00:15:23,040 Speaker 2: And thank you. I think there's so much more that 277 00:15:23,160 --> 00:15:26,280 Speaker 2: still has to be revealed. Obviously, we're taking this NTSB 278 00:15:26,480 --> 00:15:28,800 Speaker 2: press conference in just a few minutes live and we'd 279 00:15:28,840 --> 00:15:30,520 Speaker 2: love to be able to talk to you more about 280 00:15:30,520 --> 00:15:32,480 Speaker 2: this as those revelations come to pass. 281 00:15:32,520 --> 00:15:38,360 Speaker 3: Okay, the Dark Secret Place, remember the Darksecret Place dot com. 282 00:15:38,600 --> 00:15:43,720 Speaker 2: The folks, the Dark Secret Place dot com. Brian Suits, 283 00:15:43,720 --> 00:15:46,680 Speaker 2: thank you, my friend. Great to talk to you anytime. Mark, Okay, 284 00:15:46,720 --> 00:15:49,120 Speaker 2: we'll speak again. It is the John Covelt Show. We 285 00:15:49,200 --> 00:15:52,160 Speaker 2: are waiting for that live press conference. Will take it 286 00:15:52,160 --> 00:15:55,920 Speaker 2: from NTSB when they begin it. We're KFI A M 287 00:15:56,000 --> 00:15:58,200 Speaker 2: six forty live everywhere on the iHeartRadio app. 288 00:15:59,160 --> 00:16:03,760 Speaker 5: You're listening to John Cobel's on demand from KFI AM six. 289 00:16:03,800 --> 00:16:08,640 Speaker 2: Forty John Cobelt Show, John Off Today. Mark Thompson sitting in. 290 00:16:08,640 --> 00:16:11,840 Speaker 2: We're waiting on an NTSB conference that will that presser 291 00:16:11,880 --> 00:16:14,720 Speaker 2: will start. It should start any minute now. We'll take 292 00:16:14,720 --> 00:16:17,800 Speaker 2: it live obviously when it does begin, details coming out 293 00:16:17,840 --> 00:16:22,280 Speaker 2: in bits and pieces about this Potomac crash, a tragedy 294 00:16:22,600 --> 00:16:26,200 Speaker 2: from start to finish, and it reveals a lot of 295 00:16:26,240 --> 00:16:31,240 Speaker 2: what we knew, what was talked about in circles around Washington, 296 00:16:31,720 --> 00:16:35,400 Speaker 2: issues around the volume of air traffic in and out 297 00:16:35,440 --> 00:16:40,280 Speaker 2: of that airport, the proximity of that airport to military 298 00:16:40,440 --> 00:16:44,800 Speaker 2: training exercises, when those training exercises went on, what kind 299 00:16:44,840 --> 00:16:48,600 Speaker 2: of exercises, what kind of limitations, And there have been 300 00:16:48,800 --> 00:16:52,280 Speaker 2: as well, close calls. We've detailed those for you a 301 00:16:52,320 --> 00:16:56,160 Speaker 2: bit today and you're going to hear more about them 302 00:16:56,360 --> 00:16:59,400 Speaker 2: because this has been, as I say, for easily a 303 00:16:59,520 --> 00:17:03,560 Speaker 2: decade a conversation in and around this airport. But the 304 00:17:03,640 --> 00:17:13,960 Speaker 2: human tragedy is profound, the loss is profound. And a reporter, 305 00:17:14,119 --> 00:17:21,439 Speaker 2: this guy, Walter Harris in Washington, NBC reporter, spoke to 306 00:17:21,880 --> 00:17:24,560 Speaker 2: and is in touch with a man who says his 307 00:17:24,640 --> 00:17:29,200 Speaker 2: wife texted him just before this crash in DC. 308 00:17:30,560 --> 00:17:33,119 Speaker 6: She texted me that she said, we're landing in twenty minutes. 309 00:17:33,240 --> 00:17:35,680 Speaker 7: That was the last thing Kamad Rosa heard from his wife, 310 00:17:35,720 --> 00:17:38,240 Speaker 7: Osra Hussein, and by the time he arrived at Reagan 311 00:17:38,320 --> 00:17:41,240 Speaker 7: National Airport less than a half hour later, he realized 312 00:17:41,280 --> 00:17:42,560 Speaker 7: something was very wrong. 313 00:17:42,640 --> 00:17:46,160 Speaker 6: So I was waiting and I saw I started seeing 314 00:17:46,160 --> 00:17:49,600 Speaker 6: a bunch of EMS vehicles speeding past me like way 315 00:17:49,640 --> 00:17:50,960 Speaker 6: too many than normal. 316 00:17:51,600 --> 00:17:53,760 Speaker 4: And two my texts weren't going through. 317 00:17:54,320 --> 00:17:57,240 Speaker 7: Roso watching the massive response from Terminal two as one 318 00:17:57,320 --> 00:18:00,800 Speaker 7: hundred the first responders race to the rescue OSRA Whoscein 319 00:18:01,160 --> 00:18:03,800 Speaker 7: was one of sixty four people on board American Airlines 320 00:18:03,840 --> 00:18:06,800 Speaker 7: Flight fifty three forty two that collided with the military 321 00:18:06,800 --> 00:18:10,760 Speaker 7: helicopter as an approached DCA Wednesday night. Raza says she 322 00:18:10,840 --> 00:18:13,200 Speaker 7: was in Wichita for work and never made it home. 323 00:18:13,800 --> 00:18:19,119 Speaker 6: It's it's just feels crazy that it happened to us, 324 00:18:19,440 --> 00:18:22,359 Speaker 6: to be honest, I mean it's like you see these 325 00:18:22,400 --> 00:18:24,320 Speaker 6: things happen in the news. You see them happen in 326 00:18:24,320 --> 00:18:27,720 Speaker 6: other countries, and then I show up to the airport 327 00:18:28,680 --> 00:18:32,399 Speaker 6: and my wife's not responding, and I look on Twitter 328 00:18:32,440 --> 00:18:32,760 Speaker 6: and all. 329 00:18:32,720 --> 00:18:34,920 Speaker 3: Right, we're going to go to the news conference now. 330 00:18:35,000 --> 00:18:39,680 Speaker 8: The ntsbman, I'm the board member on scene, and we'll 331 00:18:39,720 --> 00:18:42,679 Speaker 8: be briefing today where we're at in the investigation in 332 00:18:42,720 --> 00:18:46,960 Speaker 8: regard to the CRJ accident with the Sikorsky helicopter. 333 00:18:48,160 --> 00:18:52,439 Speaker 4: Let me just start with it. As usual, our hearts 334 00:18:52,560 --> 00:18:56,920 Speaker 4: go out to all the families of the victims. In fact, 335 00:18:56,960 --> 00:18:59,600 Speaker 4: I've just spent the last several hours with them before 336 00:18:59,600 --> 00:19:01,240 Speaker 4: we came here, and I apologize that we had to 337 00:19:01,280 --> 00:19:04,800 Speaker 4: move this back, but they are one of our primary concerns, 338 00:19:04,800 --> 00:19:09,359 Speaker 4: along with making sure we get factual information out they 339 00:19:09,400 --> 00:19:13,199 Speaker 4: are having. It's a hard time for them, obviously, and 340 00:19:13,240 --> 00:19:14,960 Speaker 4: we want to do everything we can to make sure 341 00:19:15,000 --> 00:19:19,480 Speaker 4: they get the most accurate information and factual and has 342 00:19:19,600 --> 00:19:22,400 Speaker 4: always been at the core of the NTSB mission. Our 343 00:19:22,520 --> 00:19:25,800 Speaker 4: job is to just come out with the probable cause, 344 00:19:26,400 --> 00:19:31,160 Speaker 4: but then more importantly make recommendations so that this type 345 00:19:31,160 --> 00:19:37,480 Speaker 4: of tragedy never occurs again. So today, I know yesterday 346 00:19:37,480 --> 00:19:40,480 Speaker 4: you saw the Chairman, myself and all the board members here. 347 00:19:41,280 --> 00:19:43,600 Speaker 4: I just want to let you know they are still 348 00:19:43,640 --> 00:19:45,840 Speaker 4: actively involved with this. We're just trying to make sure 349 00:19:45,840 --> 00:19:49,080 Speaker 4: we're dividing our conquering. The Chairman and I have had 350 00:19:49,200 --> 00:19:52,360 Speaker 4: multiple conversations today. She's helped out a lot and making 351 00:19:52,400 --> 00:19:55,360 Speaker 4: sure we're getting the investigative needs we have, and she's 352 00:19:55,400 --> 00:19:58,000 Speaker 4: at the command post right now working with some of 353 00:19:58,080 --> 00:20:02,720 Speaker 4: our people. I'd like to start by just thinking the 354 00:20:02,760 --> 00:20:07,439 Speaker 4: first responders. When this first happened, a unified command was 355 00:20:07,440 --> 00:20:10,800 Speaker 4: set up and we had a lot of important people 356 00:20:10,840 --> 00:20:14,600 Speaker 4: that came and worked with us. In Virginia, the Fairfax 357 00:20:14,640 --> 00:20:19,359 Speaker 4: County Fire and Rescue, Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department, 358 00:20:19,840 --> 00:20:26,240 Speaker 4: Arlington County Fire and Rescue, Arlington County Emergency Management, Arlington Police, 359 00:20:26,520 --> 00:20:31,920 Speaker 4: Alexandria City Fire, Alexandria Police, Virginia State Police, the NCR 360 00:20:32,000 --> 00:20:36,280 Speaker 4: Incident Management Team, the Virginia Department of Emergency Management, the 361 00:20:36,359 --> 00:20:43,200 Speaker 4: Virginia Department of Transportation, the Virginia Senator Warner's Office, m 362 00:20:43,200 --> 00:20:47,520 Speaker 4: wi's Fire and Rescue Team, m WHAW Police. A special 363 00:20:47,600 --> 00:20:49,720 Speaker 4: shout out to every one of them, but m WAW 364 00:20:49,960 --> 00:20:52,159 Speaker 4: has been amazing and helping and working with us, and 365 00:20:52,200 --> 00:20:55,960 Speaker 4: we're truly appreciative, along with DC Fire and Rescue, just 366 00:20:56,240 --> 00:21:02,080 Speaker 4: the extraordinary taking the lead. Prince William in Maryland, the 367 00:21:02,080 --> 00:21:06,400 Speaker 4: Montgomery Fire and Rescue, Prince George's Fire and Rescue, Charles 368 00:21:06,480 --> 00:21:10,760 Speaker 4: County Fire and Rescue, Baltimore Fire, Baltimore Police, and Arundel 369 00:21:10,760 --> 00:21:17,399 Speaker 4: Fire Department, Maryland State Police, Maryland Natural Resource Police, MPD, DCFD. 370 00:21:18,359 --> 00:21:21,359 Speaker 4: From the federal side, the US Coast Guard, US Army, 371 00:21:21,640 --> 00:21:25,199 Speaker 4: US Air Force, FBI, Secret Service, Customs and Border Patrol, 372 00:21:25,320 --> 00:21:31,280 Speaker 4: Park Police, DoD Naval District Washington, American Medical Response, and yes, 373 00:21:31,359 --> 00:21:33,959 Speaker 4: the US Department of Labor. All of those have been 374 00:21:34,000 --> 00:21:37,280 Speaker 4: amazing partners and are one of the reasons why that 375 00:21:37,320 --> 00:21:41,199 Speaker 4: this investigation continues to progress the way we wanted to. 376 00:21:42,080 --> 00:21:44,840 Speaker 4: As I said, we did family briefings last night and 377 00:21:44,920 --> 00:21:47,280 Speaker 4: today there are over one hundred family members that are 378 00:21:47,320 --> 00:21:50,520 Speaker 4: now in the area receiving briefings and as part of 379 00:21:50,560 --> 00:21:56,960 Speaker 4: the legislative requirement receiving family assistance, they have been briefed 380 00:21:56,960 --> 00:22:00,720 Speaker 4: by the medical examiner, the fire Chief, intus B Chairman, 381 00:22:00,760 --> 00:22:05,560 Speaker 4: and myself along with the Family Assistant unit from PSA Airlines. 382 00:22:07,119 --> 00:22:11,280 Speaker 4: In regard to NTSB staff, all staff are now on 383 00:22:11,480 --> 00:22:13,920 Speaker 4: sen that have men requested and I want to point 384 00:22:13,920 --> 00:22:18,840 Speaker 4: out one specific staff member because we're doing a joint 385 00:22:19,160 --> 00:22:25,320 Speaker 4: NTSB and DoD investigation, the NTSB actually has a Blackhawks 386 00:22:25,400 --> 00:22:30,160 Speaker 4: certified pilot on staff on our personal staff based out 387 00:22:30,160 --> 00:22:34,000 Speaker 4: of Alaska. Once we realize the dynamics and the intricacies 388 00:22:34,040 --> 00:22:36,800 Speaker 4: of the Blackhawk, we have brought that member in. They 389 00:22:36,800 --> 00:22:40,879 Speaker 4: are on scene now providing direct technical assistance to the NTSB. 390 00:22:42,000 --> 00:22:44,240 Speaker 4: It does not mean that the dd is not working 391 00:22:44,240 --> 00:22:47,160 Speaker 4: and helping with us, but in order to maintain our independence, 392 00:22:47,840 --> 00:22:51,480 Speaker 4: we have our own black Hawks certified pilot in the 393 00:22:51,520 --> 00:22:57,199 Speaker 4: Working Group for Helicopters regarding salvage at this point. The 394 00:22:57,320 --> 00:23:03,000 Speaker 4: Navy Supervisor of Salvage is conducting salvage operations. At the 395 00:23:03,000 --> 00:23:08,240 Speaker 4: current time, barges are en route from Virginia Beach and 396 00:23:08,280 --> 00:23:11,520 Speaker 4: we anticipate them to be on scene early tomorrow morning. 397 00:23:12,960 --> 00:23:17,000 Speaker 4: After their arrival, they will be secured, located, and then 398 00:23:17,480 --> 00:23:22,399 Speaker 4: significant salvage operations will continue. They are ongoing right now, 399 00:23:22,720 --> 00:23:26,320 Speaker 4: but this will be the main lifting. It's being done 400 00:23:26,440 --> 00:23:30,480 Speaker 4: in conjunction with the DC Medical Examiner's Office in order 401 00:23:30,520 --> 00:23:36,560 Speaker 4: to make sure simultaneously that any additional victims are recovered 402 00:23:36,760 --> 00:23:40,399 Speaker 4: and immediately turned over to them for identification and returned 403 00:23:40,440 --> 00:23:47,760 Speaker 4: to their families. SOUPS Out, which is the supervisor of salvage, 404 00:23:47,840 --> 00:23:51,600 Speaker 4: is also conducting a debris mapping right now. This will 405 00:23:51,600 --> 00:23:55,240 Speaker 4: help in our post accident analysis of how the machine 406 00:23:55,359 --> 00:23:58,720 Speaker 4: actually reacted to the incident. It also help us with 407 00:23:58,880 --> 00:24:05,080 Speaker 4: understanding some of the airworthiness and crashworthiness and human factors. 408 00:24:06,280 --> 00:24:10,480 Speaker 4: We have right now two distinct debris fields. One that 409 00:24:10,560 --> 00:24:15,440 Speaker 4: houses the Sekorski, which is in comparison to the CRJ 410 00:24:16,600 --> 00:24:20,560 Speaker 4: a little bit smaller to the CRJ is in another 411 00:24:20,640 --> 00:24:24,960 Speaker 4: distinct area and we consider a little bit larger the 412 00:24:25,000 --> 00:24:28,600 Speaker 4: good news is based upon the initial mapping. While there 413 00:24:28,640 --> 00:24:32,040 Speaker 4: are some small aspects of that debris field, there are 414 00:24:32,320 --> 00:24:36,720 Speaker 4: large chunks that will be easily recoverable and it will 415 00:24:36,760 --> 00:24:41,000 Speaker 4: aid in the investigation when we bring it into the 416 00:24:41,040 --> 00:24:43,600 Speaker 4: secured facility that will be located here on m Y. 417 00:24:44,880 --> 00:24:47,040 Speaker 4: That will help us in the close proximity to be 418 00:24:47,040 --> 00:24:51,720 Speaker 4: able to review and evaluate. Yesterday we outline for you 419 00:24:51,760 --> 00:24:54,520 Speaker 4: a number of groups that have been stood up. A 420 00:24:54,560 --> 00:24:56,360 Speaker 4: few of them in particular, I want to call out, 421 00:24:56,400 --> 00:24:59,439 Speaker 4: although every one of them have been working very hard 422 00:25:00,200 --> 00:25:05,280 Speaker 4: for your edification. The ATC group air Traffic Control has 423 00:25:05,359 --> 00:25:10,080 Speaker 4: been conducting interviews today, they're ongoing tonight, that will be 424 00:25:10,119 --> 00:25:13,960 Speaker 4: ongoing for probably the next few days. We've had full 425 00:25:14,000 --> 00:25:17,560 Speaker 4: cooperation in getting the witnesses that we need to gain 426 00:25:17,600 --> 00:25:21,000 Speaker 4: those interviews. We will then take that information and match 427 00:25:21,040 --> 00:25:23,760 Speaker 4: it with other data that we're seating, and if necessary, 428 00:25:24,080 --> 00:25:30,040 Speaker 4: conduct following interviews at a later time. Our Operations group 429 00:25:30,280 --> 00:25:34,119 Speaker 4: now has on site an exemplar airplane similar to the 430 00:25:34,119 --> 00:25:37,679 Speaker 4: CRJ seven hundred. It's on a hard stand here at 431 00:25:37,840 --> 00:25:42,400 Speaker 4: n W. They will use that to evaluate cockpit configuration, seating, 432 00:25:43,040 --> 00:25:47,640 Speaker 4: things like that. So whenever the salvage comes up, we're 433 00:25:47,680 --> 00:25:51,000 Speaker 4: able to use an exemplar aircraft to match it against 434 00:25:51,080 --> 00:25:55,520 Speaker 4: examples such as where maybe switches are navigational AIDS electronics. 435 00:25:56,359 --> 00:26:01,840 Speaker 4: It is almost the exact same configuration as the incident aircraft. 436 00:26:04,600 --> 00:26:06,760 Speaker 4: I want to clarify one thing. There's been a lot 437 00:26:06,760 --> 00:26:11,399 Speaker 4: of questions in discussion regarding manifest. Let me make this 438 00:26:11,520 --> 00:26:17,000 Speaker 4: very clear. The NTSB will not and has not released 439 00:26:17,359 --> 00:26:20,600 Speaker 4: a manifest. We have not in our history, not in 440 00:26:20,600 --> 00:26:24,280 Speaker 4: our past, we will not be in this accident. In fact, 441 00:26:24,320 --> 00:26:29,160 Speaker 4: there's specific congressional language that whenever it is in our possession, 442 00:26:29,600 --> 00:26:32,880 Speaker 4: it is not available through the Freedom of Information Act. 443 00:26:34,160 --> 00:26:36,840 Speaker 4: It will not be included in our report. We will 444 00:26:36,840 --> 00:26:39,400 Speaker 4: not be putting any names of any of the victims. 445 00:26:41,280 --> 00:26:44,760 Speaker 4: Any release of that information will come from other individuals 446 00:26:44,840 --> 00:26:54,400 Speaker 4: or groups. Regarding the recorders, as many of you saw 447 00:26:54,480 --> 00:26:59,399 Speaker 4: last night, we recovered from the CRJ two separate recorders. 448 00:27:00,720 --> 00:27:05,960 Speaker 4: One was a fd FR that is a flight data 449 00:27:07,320 --> 00:27:16,240 Speaker 4: recorder fifty that was actually in what we consider good condition. 450 00:27:17,600 --> 00:27:22,200 Speaker 4: As part of that process, it was soaked into alcohol overnight. 451 00:27:23,640 --> 00:27:26,200 Speaker 4: It was then open today and we have a high 452 00:27:26,280 --> 00:27:28,680 Speaker 4: level of confidence that we will be able to get 453 00:27:28,720 --> 00:27:33,400 Speaker 4: a full download in the very near future. Now, once 454 00:27:33,440 --> 00:27:36,320 Speaker 4: we do have that download, we will not be releasing 455 00:27:36,359 --> 00:27:42,040 Speaker 4: immediately the information regarding it. We will have to go 456 00:27:42,119 --> 00:27:46,280 Speaker 4: through correct the data sets, make sure they're synchronized. This 457 00:27:46,400 --> 00:27:50,560 Speaker 4: has approximately rough up to possibly two thousand data points 458 00:27:51,200 --> 00:27:53,880 Speaker 4: is it reference, So all of that has to be 459 00:27:54,560 --> 00:27:58,000 Speaker 4: synchronized and looked at. It's a very laborious practice, takes 460 00:27:58,280 --> 00:28:04,000 Speaker 4: a lot of time. Regarding the crj's Cockpit Voice recorder, 461 00:28:04,280 --> 00:28:07,439 Speaker 4: once it was recovered and opened, we found that it 462 00:28:07,520 --> 00:28:14,280 Speaker 4: had water intrusion. That is not uncommon. It is not 463 00:28:14,359 --> 00:28:17,040 Speaker 4: an unusual event for us to receive a recorder with 464 00:28:17,200 --> 00:28:21,600 Speaker 4: water intrusion. We deal with that all the time. Our 465 00:28:21,640 --> 00:28:23,880 Speaker 4: recorder's division is one of the best in the country, 466 00:28:24,520 --> 00:28:27,320 Speaker 4: in the world. Actually, we have a quarter sent everywhere. 467 00:28:27,359 --> 00:28:32,439 Speaker 4: So there's a step. The CVR was soaked overnight in 468 00:28:32,480 --> 00:28:37,960 Speaker 4: ionized water, at which point the team put the CVR 469 00:28:38,160 --> 00:28:41,920 Speaker 4: into a vacuum oven in order to astract moisture. They 470 00:28:41,920 --> 00:28:45,480 Speaker 4: are still checking electrical connections to determine if they're ready 471 00:28:45,520 --> 00:28:49,520 Speaker 4: to try a download. It is one step of many 472 00:28:49,560 --> 00:28:53,120 Speaker 4: steps that we will take in order to get that data. 473 00:28:53,560 --> 00:28:55,640 Speaker 4: But we have a very high level of confidence that 474 00:28:55,680 --> 00:28:58,240 Speaker 4: we will have it. We just have to work through 475 00:28:58,240 --> 00:29:06,360 Speaker 4: a number of steps. Lastly, on recorders, the Sikorski, where 476 00:29:06,400 --> 00:29:11,280 Speaker 4: the CRJ has two separate recorders, the Sikorski has a 477 00:29:11,320 --> 00:29:17,040 Speaker 4: combined cockpit voice recorder and digital flight data recorder. It's 478 00:29:17,080 --> 00:29:20,239 Speaker 4: in one box. I can report to you now we 479 00:29:20,320 --> 00:29:25,440 Speaker 4: have recovered the Sikorski black Box. It is safely at 480 00:29:25,440 --> 00:29:29,840 Speaker 4: the NTSP headquarters. It will begin in evaluation, just as 481 00:29:29,880 --> 00:29:34,560 Speaker 4: the other two recorders did last night, to determine when 482 00:29:34,680 --> 00:29:37,920 Speaker 4: and how to take action. I can't tell you from 483 00:29:37,920 --> 00:29:43,600 Speaker 4: a visual inspection, we saw no exterior damage that would 484 00:29:43,600 --> 00:29:47,400 Speaker 4: indicate that it was compromised at this time, so we 485 00:29:47,480 --> 00:29:49,480 Speaker 4: have a high level of confidence that we will be 486 00:29:49,520 --> 00:29:51,560 Speaker 4: able to have a full extraction from that as well. 487 00:29:53,440 --> 00:29:55,960 Speaker 4: Those are some of the significant updates we have right now. 488 00:29:56,200 --> 00:29:58,640 Speaker 4: Obviously we'll be doing some more in the essence of 489 00:29:58,680 --> 00:30:00,560 Speaker 4: time and making sure our team gets back. 490 00:30:01,800 --> 00:30:05,840 Speaker 5: You're listening to John Cobels on demand from KFI A 491 00:30:06,040 --> 00:30:06,720 Speaker 5: M sixty. 492 00:30:07,720 --> 00:30:09,360 Speaker 4: I think we're gonna be able to take maybe four 493 00:30:09,440 --> 00:30:13,120 Speaker 4: or five questions. I'll call on you and I'll repeat it, 494 00:30:14,200 --> 00:30:15,800 Speaker 4: so we'll try to play that game a little bit. 495 00:30:15,800 --> 00:30:24,280 Speaker 4: Please right here, your name and outlook. Please selling someone 496 00:30:24,360 --> 00:30:28,480 Speaker 4: that they want to be heroes. All of these hands 497 00:30:28,520 --> 00:30:34,120 Speaker 4: and sales that you said, we absolutely should be reviewing used. 498 00:30:34,000 --> 00:30:38,200 Speaker 7: By spos Helper plus days a complex makes of traffic. 499 00:30:38,720 --> 00:30:43,120 Speaker 2: You see rise He stays, You're listening to an NTSB 500 00:30:43,400 --> 00:30:50,400 Speaker 2: live press conference with details of the crash that's being investigated. 501 00:30:50,760 --> 00:30:53,920 Speaker 4: So the question for those watching, is it this time 502 00:30:54,200 --> 00:30:57,600 Speaker 4: now for us to possibly deconflict or change some of 503 00:30:57,640 --> 00:31:02,640 Speaker 4: the airspace where military aircraft operate with commercial aircraft. I 504 00:31:02,720 --> 00:31:04,960 Speaker 4: can't give you a definitive answer on that. What I 505 00:31:05,040 --> 00:31:08,040 Speaker 4: can say is, in this incident, it should not have happened. 506 00:31:09,840 --> 00:31:12,920 Speaker 4: We have an aviation what's called a Swiss Cheese approach, 507 00:31:13,160 --> 00:31:17,520 Speaker 4: wherein if something fails, a backup should catch it, multiple 508 00:31:17,600 --> 00:31:21,040 Speaker 4: layers of redundancy. It's been a very long time since 509 00:31:21,080 --> 00:31:23,720 Speaker 4: we've had a major aviation incident in the United States, 510 00:31:23,720 --> 00:31:25,280 Speaker 4: and that's the reason why it's one of the safest 511 00:31:25,400 --> 00:31:29,720 Speaker 4: forms of transportation in the country. But the only way 512 00:31:29,840 --> 00:31:33,360 Speaker 4: they do that is by investigating what happens now and 513 00:31:33,440 --> 00:31:37,080 Speaker 4: then making recommendations in the future. Again, the NTSP has 514 00:31:37,160 --> 00:31:43,000 Speaker 4: made on one hundred thousand aviation investigations. We've issued fifteen 515 00:31:43,080 --> 00:31:48,600 Speaker 4: thousand recommendations, over eighty four percent of then accepted. Once 516 00:31:48,680 --> 00:31:51,680 Speaker 4: this investigative report comes out, we will be advocating, probably 517 00:31:51,800 --> 00:31:55,000 Speaker 4: for years for changes that need to be made, but 518 00:31:55,120 --> 00:31:57,320 Speaker 4: will not speculate on what needs to be done until 519 00:31:57,360 --> 00:32:04,280 Speaker 4: we have the facts. I'll call on people sorry for orders. 520 00:32:04,320 --> 00:32:06,640 Speaker 2: Can you talk about how long you can take to 521 00:32:06,800 --> 00:32:07,680 Speaker 2: recover the debris? 522 00:32:08,080 --> 00:32:09,520 Speaker 4: How long you plan to be as sciting. 523 00:32:09,600 --> 00:32:11,600 Speaker 2: How long will it take to recover the debris is 524 00:32:11,680 --> 00:32:13,440 Speaker 2: the question from Reuter's recording. 525 00:32:16,440 --> 00:32:19,360 Speaker 4: I think that was three or four together. How long 526 00:32:19,400 --> 00:32:23,080 Speaker 4: the debris will take, how long will be on site, 527 00:32:23,200 --> 00:32:25,000 Speaker 4: and if we've gotten any information off of the air 528 00:32:25,040 --> 00:32:30,040 Speaker 4: traffic control tapes the debris. We are hopeful once the 529 00:32:30,160 --> 00:32:32,200 Speaker 4: mapping is done that it will be done and what 530 00:32:32,280 --> 00:32:35,160 Speaker 4: I will call quick order. And I can make no 531 00:32:35,280 --> 00:32:37,720 Speaker 4: guarantees of that, because first and foremost, we need to 532 00:32:37,800 --> 00:32:40,560 Speaker 4: make every effort and to make sure we're recovering every 533 00:32:40,640 --> 00:32:44,040 Speaker 4: one of the people that perished in this accident. We'll 534 00:32:44,080 --> 00:32:46,680 Speaker 4: have some cranes that'll be coming up, and once that happens, 535 00:32:46,720 --> 00:32:48,520 Speaker 4: you'll see a lot more activity and we'll be moving 536 00:32:48,520 --> 00:32:50,480 Speaker 4: to that in but I don't want to give you 537 00:32:50,560 --> 00:32:53,800 Speaker 4: a definitive time. I would say it will start in earnest, 538 00:32:53,880 --> 00:32:56,480 Speaker 4: probably on Sunday, and it will go through next week. 539 00:32:56,560 --> 00:32:58,520 Speaker 4: And some of that's contingent up on weather and other things. 540 00:32:58,600 --> 00:33:04,000 Speaker 4: Regarding the ATC tapes, We've received a lot of different 541 00:33:04,040 --> 00:33:06,560 Speaker 4: information on ATC, and so I'm going to be let people, 542 00:33:06,600 --> 00:33:10,040 Speaker 4: I'm just going to preempt it. Off the shelf. Software 543 00:33:10,120 --> 00:33:13,400 Speaker 4: programs are not always as accurate as the data we 544 00:33:13,520 --> 00:33:19,120 Speaker 4: specifically get from ADSD from the black boxes. All of 545 00:33:19,240 --> 00:33:22,560 Speaker 4: that are factors that come into our investigation. So we 546 00:33:22,600 --> 00:33:26,240 Speaker 4: will not speculate about ATC tapes that you may have 547 00:33:26,360 --> 00:33:30,600 Speaker 4: heard and seen online or snippets. We are getting the 548 00:33:30,680 --> 00:33:34,120 Speaker 4: full cooperation that we need to be able to make 549 00:33:34,240 --> 00:33:36,960 Speaker 4: an accurate assessment and to make sure what we are 550 00:33:37,040 --> 00:33:41,400 Speaker 4: saying is factual and that it will help an aid 551 00:33:41,840 --> 00:33:46,320 Speaker 4: in the entire investigation. I've chats on the boss. Is 552 00:33:46,360 --> 00:33:48,840 Speaker 4: there anything glaring from the videos that we've all seen 553 00:33:48,920 --> 00:33:51,560 Speaker 4: that will tell you that the pilot in the black 554 00:33:51,600 --> 00:33:55,000 Speaker 4: hot color outfit man mistake? The question is based on 555 00:33:55,120 --> 00:33:57,920 Speaker 4: the videos, have we drawn any conclusions? We have not. 556 00:33:59,040 --> 00:34:02,440 Speaker 4: We know that there was a significant incident in which 557 00:34:02,680 --> 00:34:09,200 Speaker 4: the two aircraft collided, pretty significant fireball. If you will recall, 558 00:34:09,480 --> 00:34:12,000 Speaker 4: even after the first day, we only had maybe one 559 00:34:12,160 --> 00:34:14,399 Speaker 4: or two grainy images that were coming out. We're seeing 560 00:34:14,480 --> 00:34:17,359 Speaker 4: more and more at this time, so we're still collecting data, 561 00:34:17,440 --> 00:34:20,799 Speaker 4: but we are not going to opine until we see 562 00:34:20,840 --> 00:34:25,399 Speaker 4: a lot of other things in there. A couple more yes, sir, 563 00:34:25,880 --> 00:34:29,920 Speaker 4: you see how critical is it to interview the controller 564 00:34:30,000 --> 00:34:32,120 Speaker 4: and the tower and how it's running. 565 00:34:32,239 --> 00:34:35,279 Speaker 2: How critical is you to interview the controller, the air 566 00:34:35,320 --> 00:34:36,120 Speaker 2: traffic controller? 567 00:34:36,160 --> 00:34:38,560 Speaker 4: Is the question coming? So the question was how critical 568 00:34:38,640 --> 00:34:46,800 Speaker 4: are the air traffic control interviews and basically staffing. So 569 00:34:47,840 --> 00:34:50,799 Speaker 4: air traffic control interviews are critical. That's the reason why 570 00:34:50,840 --> 00:34:54,720 Speaker 4: there's a process in place that began immediately after the accident. 571 00:34:54,880 --> 00:34:57,839 Speaker 4: It was preservation of that evidence. It was immediately taking 572 00:34:57,920 --> 00:35:01,400 Speaker 4: down notes, getting logs, all that information. We will go 573 00:35:01,520 --> 00:35:03,640 Speaker 4: back and look at any air traffic controller that was 574 00:35:03,719 --> 00:35:06,480 Speaker 4: involved in this. We'll go back and look at their 575 00:35:06,520 --> 00:35:09,000 Speaker 4: past probably seventy two hours, even two or three weeks. 576 00:35:09,040 --> 00:35:12,560 Speaker 4: We'll look at their training, they're hiring everything, what they 577 00:35:12,680 --> 00:35:16,120 Speaker 4: probably ate that day, But it is not one point 578 00:35:16,760 --> 00:35:20,120 Speaker 4: that tells us everything. It's layered into a lot of 579 00:35:20,200 --> 00:35:24,359 Speaker 4: other information that's very critical regarding staffing. The FAA has 580 00:35:24,440 --> 00:35:28,600 Speaker 4: had a very robust plan in looking at staffing. Obviously 581 00:35:28,719 --> 00:35:31,719 Speaker 4: we'll be looking at not only staffing that day, but 582 00:35:31,880 --> 00:35:35,359 Speaker 4: progressively staffing. How many people, what job functions they were doing, 583 00:35:35,440 --> 00:35:38,800 Speaker 4: were they being combined were they not? What was the 584 00:35:38,840 --> 00:35:42,800 Speaker 4: weather outside? What was the number of landings I recalled 585 00:35:42,880 --> 00:35:45,759 Speaker 4: back during COVID one runway was being used. We're only 586 00:35:45,840 --> 00:35:50,080 Speaker 4: won that was only one thirty three as traffic came 587 00:35:50,160 --> 00:35:52,200 Speaker 4: back started being opened up, so we would look at 588 00:35:52,320 --> 00:35:55,880 Speaker 4: changes in traffic patterns, construction at the airport, all of that. 589 00:35:56,320 --> 00:36:00,480 Speaker 2: All that's the NTSB official updating the deadly DC plan crash, 590 00:36:00,760 --> 00:36:04,520 Speaker 2: and to speak frankly, there was not a lot of 591 00:36:04,640 --> 00:36:07,080 Speaker 2: new information. I think it was one of those press 592 00:36:07,239 --> 00:36:12,279 Speaker 2: conferences in which an official describes the process. So if 593 00:36:12,320 --> 00:36:15,160 Speaker 2: you're interested in process, you've got a lot there, the 594 00:36:15,280 --> 00:36:20,320 Speaker 2: process by which they decode and otherwise ascertain what's in 595 00:36:20,480 --> 00:36:24,960 Speaker 2: the black box, the way in which they review communications. 596 00:36:25,280 --> 00:36:29,160 Speaker 2: But again no information about what was in those communications. 597 00:36:29,400 --> 00:36:33,040 Speaker 2: Just a lot about the process, which is fair. I mean, 598 00:36:33,080 --> 00:36:36,240 Speaker 2: it's very early in the investigation. The thing just happened 599 00:36:36,280 --> 00:36:41,319 Speaker 2: Wednesday night, it is not even the case that all 600 00:36:41,400 --> 00:36:47,320 Speaker 2: those lost souls have been retrieved from the Potomac. That 601 00:36:47,520 --> 00:36:51,640 Speaker 2: continues as well. But at the end of his remarks 602 00:36:52,040 --> 00:36:57,719 Speaker 2: that NTSB spokesperson, at the end of those remarks, I 603 00:36:57,880 --> 00:37:02,520 Speaker 2: feel is some of the you'll answer here. It seems 604 00:37:02,680 --> 00:37:09,000 Speaker 2: as though he fairly points to a layered constellation of 605 00:37:09,120 --> 00:37:11,640 Speaker 2: things that happened. You know, it was one thing, it 606 00:37:11,880 --> 00:37:16,640 Speaker 2: was several things coming together. And even as lay people, 607 00:37:16,680 --> 00:37:19,440 Speaker 2: as we look at what things might have happened, you 608 00:37:19,600 --> 00:37:23,399 Speaker 2: can figure out certain things. For example, it seems clear 609 00:37:23,440 --> 00:37:26,440 Speaker 2: that that black Hawk helicopter was one to two hundred 610 00:37:26,520 --> 00:37:30,640 Speaker 2: feet higher than it should have been. Also, the nature 611 00:37:30,640 --> 00:37:35,759 Speaker 2: of the communication with the tower, where the tower is communicating, 612 00:37:35,880 --> 00:37:39,719 Speaker 2: do you see him? Do you see that the commuter aircraft? Well, 613 00:37:39,719 --> 00:37:43,759 Speaker 2: I mean, as Brian suits and I were talking, what 614 00:37:43,960 --> 00:37:47,040 Speaker 2: is the that there? You know, do I see what 615 00:37:47,520 --> 00:37:52,240 Speaker 2: I mean? There are several aircraft there on that approach. 616 00:37:53,120 --> 00:37:56,239 Speaker 2: So you begin to see how in the fog of 617 00:37:56,320 --> 00:38:01,200 Speaker 2: it all, metaphorically you lose a little bit of what 618 00:38:01,400 --> 00:38:03,680 Speaker 2: might have been the thing to make it happen. But 619 00:38:03,760 --> 00:38:06,880 Speaker 2: the last thing, and it was noted here even in 620 00:38:07,000 --> 00:38:09,759 Speaker 2: the questioning in the back and forth, and I think 621 00:38:09,800 --> 00:38:12,800 Speaker 2: there's going to be a lot made of this. The 622 00:38:12,880 --> 00:38:18,080 Speaker 2: air traffic control tower at Reagan National was understaffed on 623 00:38:18,239 --> 00:38:23,680 Speaker 2: Wednesday night. I mentioned this to you last hour. When 624 00:38:23,719 --> 00:38:27,399 Speaker 2: a passenger plane and a military helicopter collide in mid air, 625 00:38:28,719 --> 00:38:33,000 Speaker 2: there generally are two different people involved in both those 626 00:38:34,680 --> 00:38:38,200 Speaker 2: instruments of aviation, Meaning there is a control tower person 627 00:38:38,360 --> 00:38:43,000 Speaker 2: dedicated to plane traffic passenger plane traffic, and there is 628 00:38:43,120 --> 00:38:47,759 Speaker 2: someone dedicated in the same tower to the military helicopter 629 00:38:47,880 --> 00:38:53,200 Speaker 2: traffic and all helicopter traffic. Two different people. But at 630 00:38:53,200 --> 00:39:01,040 Speaker 2: the time of this accident, one of those people left. Again, 631 00:39:01,360 --> 00:39:04,320 Speaker 2: they do it all in very much official speak. So 632 00:39:04,640 --> 00:39:08,960 Speaker 2: what they say is the control tower staffing levels were 633 00:39:09,120 --> 00:39:12,279 Speaker 2: quote not normal for the time of day and the 634 00:39:12,320 --> 00:39:16,000 Speaker 2: amount of traffic over DC. Again, they get more than 635 00:39:16,040 --> 00:39:19,520 Speaker 2: one hundred helicopters a day in and around and underneath 636 00:39:19,600 --> 00:39:24,120 Speaker 2: arriving and departing flights there in d C at nine 637 00:39:24,160 --> 00:39:30,560 Speaker 2: to thirty at night, just to review, the control tower 638 00:39:30,640 --> 00:39:34,200 Speaker 2: goes from two to one, goes from a helicopter dedicated 639 00:39:34,320 --> 00:39:40,080 Speaker 2: person and an airplane dedicated person to just the one 640 00:39:40,480 --> 00:39:44,719 Speaker 2: person handling both chopper traffic and plane traffic. But in 641 00:39:44,840 --> 00:39:47,360 Speaker 2: this case, the crash occurred around eight point fifty and 642 00:39:47,680 --> 00:39:51,640 Speaker 2: already they were down to the one person handling both 643 00:39:52,320 --> 00:39:56,440 Speaker 2: areas of traffic. So as they hunt for answers, you 644 00:39:56,520 --> 00:39:59,560 Speaker 2: know this will be one of the things they look at. 645 00:40:00,280 --> 00:40:02,440 Speaker 2: And I know that there's a lot being made politically, 646 00:40:02,719 --> 00:40:05,960 Speaker 2: but DEI and what was the situation? And that those 647 00:40:06,000 --> 00:40:09,879 Speaker 2: are fine questions to ask, if appropriate. But what I'm 648 00:40:10,200 --> 00:40:14,520 Speaker 2: getting at is the specifics of this strike, me as 649 00:40:16,080 --> 00:40:21,479 Speaker 2: the Blackhawk helicopter operators who were flying at a higher 650 00:40:21,520 --> 00:40:28,239 Speaker 2: altitude than agreed upon and likely didn't see this passenger jet, 651 00:40:28,880 --> 00:40:34,719 Speaker 2: plus the personnel in the tower down to not the 652 00:40:34,840 --> 00:40:39,040 Speaker 2: normal staffing levels to use their verbiage, essentially from two 653 00:40:39,120 --> 00:40:43,399 Speaker 2: to one. That's just the beginning. But I suspect those 654 00:40:43,440 --> 00:40:47,480 Speaker 2: are two rich areas in which there'll be more investigation. 655 00:40:48,520 --> 00:40:50,839 Speaker 2: It's The John Cobalt Show, Mark Thompson sitting in for John. 656 00:40:50,840 --> 00:40:54,960 Speaker 2: We're kfi AM six forty live everywhere on the iHeartRadio app. 657 00:40:55,040 --> 00:40:57,920 Speaker 1: Hey you've been listening to the John Cobalt Show podcast. 658 00:40:58,040 --> 00:41:00,680 Speaker 1: You can always hear the show live on KFIM six 659 00:41:00,800 --> 00:41:03,520 Speaker 1: forty from one to four pm every Monday through Friday, 660 00:41:03,560 --> 00:41:06,799 Speaker 1: and of course anytime on demand on the iHeartRadio app.