American Eagle - helicopter collision

[jis]

Ah... I kind of thought all airports had designated flight paths? Again... I'm a train geek who didn't fly at all until a few years ago so I don't really know.

Why does that make landing in DC dangerous?

I don’t understand why step aside to 33 at DCA would be any more dangerous than say step aside used at EWR to the shorter cross runway? The approach to the longer runway 1 at DCA does not appear to be all that complex. In any case nothing remotely approaching the famous checkerboard approach at the old HKG.

 

[Cal]

My guess is it’s dangerous because the planes have to bank at a low altitude just before they reach the runway approach.

I don't think this is the reason, as this happens at many airports and just means the pilots have a little bit more work to do. I thought it was because there are a lot of restricted areas, all the traffic now has to fit within the small designated areas, creating a larger density of aircraft movements, and therefore more potential for a collision.

 

[PaTrainFan]

This. DCA is extraordinarily popular with Congress, which is increasingly a Tuesday-Thursday institution. They can get from the Capitol dome (or more prosaically, one of the House or Senate office buildings) to DCA in 11 minutes by car, 35 minutes if they deign to take Metro, fat chance. Over the decades I've spent in Washington, too, jets have become quieter, not quiet but quieter, and more direct flights to further destinations and at later hours are allowed out of DCA. Partly at Congress's behest.

A few years ago there was a strong-armed effort by some in Congress to force additional slots at National Airport for the sole convenience of western representatives. This failed in the end due to the objections of the FAA and airport officials who said the airport was already at capacity.