A shocking mid-air collision occurred between a commercial airliner and what appears to be a military/government Blackhawk helicopter in the Washington D.C.
CNN aviation correspondent and private pilot Pete Munteen said this is extremely rare and concerning such an incident is in modern aviation.
Commercial aircraft are equipped with TCAS (Traffic Collision Avoidance System) specifically designed to prevent such collisions.
TCAS actively instructs pilots on vertical maneuvers to avoid other aircraft through climb or descent commands.
The system was implemented as a direct response to previous mid-air collisions involving commercial aircraft.
The incident represents what aviation experts call "holes in the Swiss cheese" - multiple safety failures aligning simultaneously.
Commercial pilots undergo extensive training and operate with sophisticated technology, making this event particularly concerning.
The Blackhawk helicopter involved suggests military or government involvement, as it's exclusively used by these entities.
The aviation expert expressing shock underscores the extraordinary nature of this incident.
A major investigation will be required to understand how multiple safety systems and protocols failed simultaneously.
"This would be an incredible lining up of the holes in the Swiss cheese, the -- the which is the saying in aviation, the gaps in the -- in the safety chain in aviation, that this happened and now investigators have an incredible amount of work cut out for them to figure out how a commercial airliner in the United States in 2025, when the pilots are incredibly trained, the technology is is incredibly sharp, collided with what is apparently a military or government helicopter. Nobody else uses the blackhawk. Yeah, it is -- it is really something else. I -- I -- I'm just stunned."
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