In a concerning revelation, what started as an internet conspiracy theory about the US Army helicopter that collided with American Airlines flight 5342 over Washington DC, has been confirmed as being true.
The tragedy, which occurred around 9 pm last Wednesday (January 29), claimed the lives of 67 people, three soldiers on board the military aircraft, as well as 60 passengers, and four crew members on the commercial plane.
Highlights
- What started as a conspiracy about a US Army helicopter crash turns out to be true.
- Defense sources confirmed to CBS that the military aircraft was practicing a Continuity of Government plan.
- The crash claimed 67 lives, including 3 military personnel rehearsing a president evacuation plan.
- Experts suggest reevaluating military practices in commercial airspaces post-accident.
Internet theorists had thrown around the idea that the helicopter had deviated from usual routes to practice for a Continuity of Government (COG) contingency plan, which was confirmed by defense sources to CBS.
The soldiers were indeed rehearsing an evacuation plan for the president when the Black Hawk collided with the passenger jet.
Conspiracy theory about the military helicopter involved in the American Airlines crash that took the life of 67 people was confirmed as true by defense sources
Image credits: Andrew Harnik / Getty
Authorities also released the names of two of the three military personnel aboard the helicopter. Chief Warrant Officer 2 Andrew Eaves and Staff Sergeant Ryan O'Hara have been identified, while the third one, a female officer, has remained anonymous at the request of her family.
Image credits: Ahmedot2Osman
The New York Times described the Army’s decision to honor the family’s request as “extraordinary,” as it is standard procedure to release the names of personnel involved in fatal accidents 24 hours after notifying their relatives.
Image credits: 147th Aviation Regiment / Wikipedia
The unusual silence surrounding the co-pilot’s identity has only fueled speculation, specifically around her competency as officials revealed that she had around 500 flight hours of experience—an amount in line with expectations for her role.
Eaves and O’Hara, in comparison, had approximately 1,000 flight hours each.
Experts believe the accident should prompt a reevaluation of military practices on commercial airspaces
Image credits: René DeAnda / Unsplash
In a Bored Panda exclusive interview, Dr. Daniel Bubb, a former airline pilot with a PhD in political science from the University of Missouri, called the accident “unfathomable,” and predicted that it would lead to a rethinking of military training protocols.
Image credits: Andrew Harnik / Getty
“It’s common for military aircraft to conduct training operations in the same airspace as commercial aircraft and even share airports,” Dr. Bubb mentioned. “This is something that predates World War II.”
Image credits: Maria Oswalt / Unsplash
“This accident might prompt conversation about the danger of military and civilian operations happening [at the same time],” he added.
Dr. Bubb also correctly stated that the main focus of the investigation is likely to be the aircraft’s black boxes, as well as questioning air traffic control personnel.
Image credits: Lockheed Martin
Officials from the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) confirmed the recovery of the boxes yesterday (January 31).
Rescue efforts are underway with 41 out of the 67 bodies being successfully recovered, and 28 being positively identified so far.
"How can anyone make a judgement?" Despite the theory being true, netizens felt sharing conspiracies was in bad taste
