01 30 25 Aviation expert Mike Boyd discusses the plane and helicopter crash in DC

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
An American Airlines flight colliding midair with a military black
Hawk helicopter late last night.

Speaker 2 (00:05):
Reporting it reveals that the helicopter knew about the plane
in the area, but officials question whether the pilots misidentified
other lights as the aircraft. Officials are looking to ensure
this never happens again, as they say it was preventable
and as this was the standard flight path, there was
nothing at least unusual about it. Joining us now in
the KA Common Spirit Health hotline aviation expert Mike Boyd
of Boyd Aviation, Mike, we appreciate coming on with us

(00:27):
this morning as somebody who understands the business of aviation.
After something like this happens, what is usually the first
action buying airline company?

Speaker 3 (00:36):
Well, the airline company isn't going to be well. Americans
canna be looking at airing the pilot did and with
the FAA. The real istion now is why did these
two airplanes meet in the air when we have an
aircraft control system that were supposed to stop it. So
the real focus is going to be well was apparently
the jet was where it should have been, and according
to our Secretary of Transportation, the helicopter was where to

(01:00):
have been under another system. So they're going to be
looking at that to make sure this doesn't happen again.
But it's inexcusable that it did.

Speaker 1 (01:07):
Well, Mike, what do we know so far? What did
we hear from the communication between the tower and the
military jet, because it really sounded like they noticed the
other aircraft? What really sounded Did anything sound out of
the ordinary in that back and forth?

Speaker 3 (01:22):
Well, you know, they could have mistaken you know, I
don't know a light on the USA to Day building
or something for the airline, or don't know. We don't
know what the pilot in that helicopter was doing. We
do believe that the American Airlines jet was where it
should have been, as it should have been. The question
is why did we have this collision over the Potomac

(01:44):
when we have an air traffic control system that should
have stopped it. That's the bottom line. And this is
the first major, I think major crisis for the Trump administration.
You got a new DOT secretary. How he handles this
and how aggressively handled it is going to be a
harbinger of things to come.

Speaker 2 (02:02):
Mike, If I heard you right, and please correct me
if I'm wrong, do you did you say that there's,
if you want to say, two separate controllers when it
comes to at least the traffic piece of it, for
the for the military copter and for the for the
civilian plane. They are they mixed together. I wanted some
clarity on that, and maybe I'm the only one that
misunderstood what you said.

Speaker 3 (02:24):
I'm not sure I do either. That's what Sean Duffy
said that you know, both both vehicles were operating under
you know what the kind of control they should have
been operating under. I don't know what those two systems are,
but we do know this. We've had near missus probably
half a dozen in the last six months. This was
not a near miss. This was a hit, and we

(02:45):
have to do something about our air traffic control system
to make sure it never ever happens again. Like I said, now,
mister Duffy does have a challenge in front of him.

Speaker 1 (02:53):
We do know that President Trump is expected to hold
a press conference around nine o'clock our time this morning
talking a little bit more about it. Unsure if Secretary
of Transportation Sewn Duffy will be there. But what is
the next course of action for this administration?

Speaker 3 (03:08):
Well, the next course of action has to be, even
without this event, should be we've got to fix the
air traffic control system, like right now, so we has
to control the air traffic control system so it doesn't
happen again. That's the biggest challenge we have right now.

Speaker 2 (03:23):
What is the flaw with the air traffic control system
that you're referencing.

Speaker 3 (03:28):
Well right now today. The problem we have is that
the air traffic control system is understaffed. There are enough
people there, it's undermanaged. So we have that's just system
that has to be done with the last seat warmers
of the SAA haven't done anything. Just now with the
mister Duffy to do.

Speaker 1 (03:43):
It, and Mike and wrap it up with you and
we talk a little bit about these aviation tragedies. Does
just the overall environment humanize it for us when it
comes to just passengers and flight attendants and pilots. Do
we just see an overall shift and change following something.

Speaker 3 (03:59):
Like this, Well, I think, look, I'm getting on an
airplane tomorrow. I'm not going to be worried about it.
But the fact of the matter is if the consumers
should be concerned only that our government is not doing
what it needs to do. The skies are safe. As
long as we have humans involved, we're going to have accidents.
But in a case like this, we have to change
our system. And we've known that for years and it's

(04:20):
time that. Let's hope the Trump administration does that.

Speaker 2 (04:24):
Aviation expert Boyd Aviation's Mike Boyd. Thanks Mike.

Speaker 3 (04:27):
Okay, we'll buy