How did the plane crash in the US occur? Why did Trump blame the tower?

Suat TEKİN - 12punto.com.tr

In Washington, a military helicopter and a passenger plane collided near Ronald Reagan Airport. As a result of the accident, the 'jet' type passenger plane carrying 60 passengers and 4 crew members crashed into the Potomac River. Shortly after the accident, Donald Trump claimed that 'the accident could not be prevented because the tower personnel did not do their job.' This statement, made before the plane's black box had even been reached, raised the question of whether the US government is 'taking action to cover up system errors.'

Experts agree that it is too early to definitively determine the causes of the accident. Nevertheless, the details of the accident have led to discussions among aviation experts regarding potential system errors.

So far, search and rescue efforts are ongoing, with 12 bodies recovered according to official figures. We spoke with Assoc. Prof. Dr. Özge Özdemir from the ITU Aircraft Engineering department about the details of the plane crash in the US and the possibilities of error.

HOW DID THE ACCIDENT HAPPEN?

Özdemir believes that in addition to human error, there may also be systemic errors in the collision of the two aircraft. Pointing out that the civilian jet was landing at the time of the accident, Özdemir provided important information regarding the incident.

''Every aircraft has its own black box. The actual causes of the incident will be known after the black box is analyzed. However, I think there was a problem stemming from the descent and air traffic. The passenger jet was in the process of descending. During descent, collision avoidance systems are turned off. Under normal conditions, there are many aircraft around during descent. When the collision avoidance system detects these aircraft, it can cause problems in the plane's landing system. Pilots land by 'visually' sighting the runway. The helicopter was navigating or climbing while the passenger jet was landing. My initial guess is that the accident occurred due to human factors or a malfunction in the systems.''

'IT WAS OPERATING ABOVE AIRPORT CAPACITY'

Emphasizing that the accident will become clear after the black boxes of the aircraft are reached, Özdemir also drew attention to the situation of Ronald Reagan Airport, where the accident occurred. The conditions of the airport, which was operating above its capacity, may have caused the accident.

Özdemir noted the following regarding Ronald Reagan Airport in Washington:

'Ronald Reagan Airport is an airport in a restricted area. Furthermore, its density is very high. We are talking about a place where takeoffs and landings are very frequent. It is an airport operating above its capacity. This situation may have led to an error.'

The expert also evaluated the possibilities of human error with the following words:

'The human factor is very important in aviation. Military helicopter pilots are very well-trained and experienced. According to reports, the military helicopter might have been conducting a training flight in the area. Military training flights are not normally conducted at civilian airports. The inside story of this issue will emerge in the coming period.'

IS IT THE TOWER'S FAULT?

Trump's 'tower error' statement shortly after the accident sparked controversy. Appearing before cameras while the wreckage of the passenger plane had not yet been reached and before an investigation into the accident had been launched, Trump argued that the accident was 'human error.'

Özdemir expressed her views on the possibility of human error as follows:

''I think there is a systemic problem, but as I said, the human factor is always decisive in aviation. From the maintenance of aircraft to their operation, the human factor is fundamental. The importance of the air traffic control tower in communication is also extremely critical. The guiding personnel in the air tower may have missed some details. This is also within the realm of possibility.

It could also be a piloting error. I don't think there was a piloting error in the landing passenger plane. When we look at it, a plane is also taking off at the same time. There is also an altitude difference between the vehicles. The passenger jet most likely maintained its altitude and orientation. There might have been a lapse in attention by the helicopter pilots. Normally, military pilots are very experienced and well-trained military personnel. I don't think there was a problem originating from the civilian plane.

Aircraft have collision avoidance warning systems. They also have features such as detecting incoming objects. In the air tower, systems are not based solely on human observation. There are also warning systems there that show which vehicles are approaching and in what way. There might have been a malfunction in these systems as well.''

News Source: 12punto