Plane crash near Washington: NYT suggests a potential cause.

The plane crash in Washington may have been the result of multiple failures within the aviation safety systems of the United States (US).

This is reported by The New York Times (NYT).

According to the publication, prior to the crash, the passenger aircraft deviated from its approved route, and its pilots likely failed to notice the helicopter while executing a turn towards the runway. Simultaneously, the air traffic controller had to "juggle two jobs at once," which prevented him from "separating" the aircraft and the helicopter.

While the official cause of the crash has not yet been determined, there are already indications that both pilots and controllers were not operating under optimal conditions.

According to NYT, typically after 9:30 PM local time, one person handles the duties of the controller for both helicopters and airplanes when air traffic at Reagan Airport decreases. However, on the day of the accident, these responsibilities were assigned to one individual even before that time. A preliminary report from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) indicates that the staffing levels were "abnormal for this time of day and traffic intensity."

It is also noted that the tower controller needed to actively coordinate the movements of the helicopter and airplane to maintain a safe distance, as darkness could complicate pilots' orientation.

Some sources claim that the helicopter was supposed to fly closer to the shore of the Potomac River and descend; however, instead, it gained altitude and was half a mile off the approved route before the collision.

"The gaps in aviation safety have been growing for years, leading to a troubling picture of near misses in the skies and at airports involving commercial airlines. This occurs amid congestion at the country's busiest airports, including Reagan National Airport, where the frequent presence of military flights further complicates air traffic management," notes NYT.

Reminder: near Reagan National Airport close to Washington (US), a passenger plane collided with a military helicopter. Following the collision, the aircraft, which had 64 people on board, fell into the Potomac River, as reported by CNN. The helicopter, with three crew members, was conducting a training flight.

The President of the United States, Donald Trump, stated on Thursday that no one survived the mid-air collision between the military helicopter and the passenger plane over the Potomac River.

"The focus now has shifted to the recovery mission," Trump said, adding that Wednesday became "a dark and painful night in our nation's capital and in our nation's history."

Background. Earlier, Mind reported that there were over ten athletes of Russian descent on board the crashed plane. Among the passengers were world champions from Russia.