(8 hours ago)Zaphod58 Wrote: Have you looked at the ADS-B images of the area at the time? There were two other planes near the bridge at the time the CRJ made their right turn to line up for 33. The crew of PAT25 would have seen lights, roughly where they would expect the CRJ to be, and assume that was the CRJ. Even if they correctly identified the CRJ at first, they wouldn’t have been looking at it constantly. Look down to check instruments, or to the side to clear airspace around them, the CRJ turns, the crew of PAT25 looks back in front of them, sees lights exactly where they expect to see them, and never realizes that the CRJ turned and misidentifies the next flight as the CRJ they’re supposed to pass behind.
There’s no evidence PAT25 did anything but a last minute evasion attempt, no matter how many times you repeat that they pulled up onto them deliberately.
JIA 5342 was just south of the Woodrow bridge exactly when DCA said it was, and visual approved. Did you see 2 planes at the bridge at exactly that time? I didn’t.
If PAT25 saw them when told, there is no excuse that they lost sight of them as they approached the runway.
And there is no excuse they didn’t see them when told exactly where they were either.
It has also been reported they were not approved to fly above 200 feet so that is another inexcusable action from PAT25.
My opinion is that is 3 strikes against them, no coincidence.
