Hero pilot Captain Sully shares terrifying theory on why DC plane crash happened

Captain Chesley 'Sully' Sullenberger has said helium believes flying astatine nighttime implicit h2o could beryllium factors successful what led to a American Airlines formation colliding with a helicopter, sidesplitting 67 people.

Sully, who famously landed a rider plane on the Hudson River successful 2009, told The New York Times the 2 factors could person made avoiding the chopper harder. 

He said: 'There would person been less crushed lights disposable implicit the h2o than implicit onshore astatine night.'

According to Sully, this 'might person made it a small spot harder to see'. 

The 74-year-old added: 'Nighttime ever makes things antithetic astir seeing different craft — fundamentally each you tin bash is spot the lights connected them. 

'You person to effort to fig out: Are they supra you oregon beneath you? Or however acold away? Or which absorption are they headed? Everything is harder astatine night.'

Sully told the outlet that helium hoped the cockpit dependable recorder, the inflight information recorder and air-traffic power information would assistance wide up what went wrong.

He added: 'I’m conscionable devastated by this. We person the work to larn from each nonaccomplishment and improve.'

The midair collision betwixt the Army chopper and the pitchy from Kansas adjacent Reagan National Airport killed each 64 radical onboard. 

Three soldiers had been wrong the helicopter astatine the clip of the incidental and had been connected a grooming mission. They besides died successful the collision bringing the decease toll to 67. 

Sully was down the yoke of US Airways Flight 1549  connected January 15, 2009 erstwhile it encountered treble motor nonaccomplishment aft colliding with a flock of geese aft takeoff from New York City's LaGuardia Airport. 

All 155 radical connected committee survived the plane's clang landing into the Hudson River, which has since been dubbed the 'Miracle connected the Hudson'.

Sully was portrayed by Tom Hanks successful the 2016 movie named aft him astir the flight, which Clint Eastwood directed. 

On Thursday evening, rescue crews digging done the wreckage managed to recover two achromatic boxes from the waters of the Potomac River. 

This volition beryllium of monumental assistance to authorities arsenic they analyse what precisely happened successful the moments starring to disaster. 

A preliminary study has said that aerial traffic power staffing astatine the airdrome was 'not mean for the clip of time and measurement of traffic. 

Reagan National has been understaffed for galore years, with conscionable 19 afloat certified controllers arsenic of September 2023 - good beneath the people of 30 - according to the astir caller Air Traffic Controller Workforce Plan submitted to Congress.

The concern appeared to person improved since then, arsenic a root told CNN the Reagan National power operation was 85 percent staffed with 24 of 28 positions filled.

Chronic understaffing astatine aerial postulation power towers is thing new, with well-known causes including precocious turnover and fund cuts. Controllers often enactment 10-hour days, six days a week, to capable the void.

The preliminary clang study detailed that the deficiency of unit meant the controller monitoring and directing helicopters adjacent DCA was besides instructing planes landing and departing connected the runways.

Usually, 2 controllers would grip these roles, arsenic unit usage 2 antithetic vigor frequencies to speech to planes and chopper pilots.

At slightest 40 bodies person since been pulled from the Potomac River following extended betterment missions by exigency teams. 

The bodies of each 4 formation unit members - including 1 who was specified months distant from a promotion and wedding - were besides recovered from the debris connected Thursday. 

The pilots of the American Eagle pitchy were Captain Jonathan Campos, 34, and First Officer Samuel Lilley, DailyMail.com exclusively revealed. 

And some formation attendants who were connected that tragic formation person been revealed arsenic Ian Epstein and Danasia Elder. 

In an concern eerily akin to what happened connected Wednesday night, a Republic Airways formation had to abort landing astatine the airdrome connected Tuesday aft a chopper appeared adjacent its formation path.

Flightradar information for the formation shows the level had been travelling from Windsor Locks successful Connecticut to the metropolis and had to dramatically summation altitude soon aft descending connected Reagan National Airport. It yet landed safely.