January 30, 2025 • 39 mins
Wednesday evening, an American Airlines passenger jet collided with a U.S. Army Black Hawk helicopter sending both aircraft into the Potomac River below. There were 64 people on board the plane and three soldiers in the Army helicopter, according to DC Mayor Muriel Bowser. Officials say no survivors are expected. Six people associated with the Skating Club of Boston in Norwood were among the deceased passengers. Does a tragedy such as this make you rethink about traveling via aircraft?
Ask Alexa to play WBZ NewsRadio on #iHeartRadio and listen to NightSide with Dan Rea Weeknights From 8PM-12AM!
Ask Alexa to play WBZ NewsRadio on #iHeartRadio and listen to NightSide with Dan Rea Weeknights From 8PM-12AM!
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:01):
It's Nights with Dan Ray.
Speaker 2 (00:03):
I'm Boston Radio with Steve Rowland. Here we are talking
about the only story that really we can talk about tonight,
and that is the horrific DC plane crash that took
the lives of some sixty seven people. I think everyone
knows the story at this point. We hear in New
England field it particularly because at least six of the
(00:27):
passengers were from New England. They were involved in a
skating development camp out in Kansas, also some competition out there,
and two young skaters, sixteen year old Spencer Lane of Barrington,
Rhode Island and thirteen year old Ginahan of Mansfield, and
(00:47):
their moms, Christine Lane and Ginhan perished in this senseless tragedy.
Also their coaches and Genia and Vadim Nimov Nimov who
won the world championship in nineteen ninety four, and they
(01:12):
were on their way back from what's called the national
development camp in which you could talk Kansas when the
collision occurred last night. There's a story today that The
New York Times has sourced which says that there was
only one controller on duty, handling both the helicopter, the
military helicopter and the plane that was coming in. Look
(01:36):
you considered an airport. You watched these planes land every
thirty seconds. Maybe it's time to space them out more.
Maybe it's time to pull some flights down. Maybe it's
time to make it less convenient for Americans. Okay, if
we could save lives, maybe we need more shorter flight.
Maybe we need more connecting flights. There has to be
a better way to do it than to have something
like this happen. I just think that air traffic travel
(02:01):
air travel has become like bus travel. You see people
get on planes and they're bringing or they bring in
Duffel bags. I mean, you know, they maybe, somehow, some way,
the airlines and the passenger organizations can get together give
(02:21):
people a little bit more room, maybe not cram people
in as tightly as they do. Flying coach is miserable,
miserable for the most part, whether you're in the window
seat or the or the middle seat. They don't make
it fun. They've cut back on every creature comfort. Uh,
you're knock. Can fly across the country and there's no
(02:41):
meal service. I just I don't know. I'm not an expert,
I'm not an economist in air travel, but there has
to be a better way to doing that. The public's
not happy. You get to airports now, and unless you
want to go to the kiosk, you'll have to wait
in line. Sometimes you have to wait in line at
(03:03):
the kiosks. They have cut back, cut back, cut back,
And if they've cut back on the public facing personnel
at the counter, then you know that they've also cut
back in other areas. And again it comes back to
the being counters. The being counters are the people who
who will ruin this country, and ruin this economy, and
ruin great cooperations in this company, in this country. Six
(03:25):
one seven two four ten thirty. Those lines are full.
There's one line at six one seven nine three one
ten thirty. Let me get to Chuck in Georgia, Chuck,
But I appreciate your patience. I didn't want to short
change the last hour. Your next your first is our
night side.
Speaker 3 (03:39):
Yes, how you doing?
Speaker 4 (03:40):
Dan?
Speaker 2 (03:41):
Uh? You know? Pretty good? I mean I I just
think that this is an unnecessary tragedy. I I this
is a big story up here tonight, Chuck. I know
it's a big story in Georgia. But you lost some
some amazing young people and athletes on that flight last night.
Speaker 3 (04:01):
Well, you're right, and you know it's it's for the
being counters. It's always volume, you know, the quicker you
can get them in, quicker you can get them out,
and so forth. And I'm I'm not so sure that's
the reason for this problem. But I know that the
tower actually got a hold of the helicopter and it
(04:24):
was on a retraining flight. I mean, to bring every
all the pilots up to snuff, I'm sure, But I
wonder if they were supposed to be wearing night goggles.
I think that's standard operating procedure for the military and helicopters.
Speaker 2 (04:40):
And why wouldn't they We'll never know. Will We're never
going to know. I don't think so. Well. My question
is why were they at three hundred and fifty feet?
I heard today on several news horses that these helicopters
who are functioning in that area. I don't know why
they have to function in that area specifically, but if you.
Speaker 3 (05:01):
Were in the standard flight path too, yeah, why, I.
Speaker 2 (05:06):
Don't know what they're talking about. It Are they worried
about people attacking the Pentagon? I but let's assume that
it's necessary. Well, could they not do it maybe at
a time in the in the in the early morning
hours when there were fewer planes landing.
Speaker 3 (05:21):
I mean, I just yes. And why are they in
the standard flight carridor for these planes? You know, there's
a big sky out there. I don't know why they're
in that carridor, but they are.
Speaker 2 (05:34):
Well, the other thing is they're supposed to win. They're
in that corridor. The news reports, I saw it that
they said they have to stay at or below two
hundred feet and the collision occurreded three hundred and fifty feet.
Speaker 3 (05:45):
Well, pre training, Dan, I don't know what to say.
We've seen a jet in Arizona a few years ago.
It was on a training mission, went down in the desert.
Seen a number of things happen in these retraining things.
Speaker 2 (06:01):
And yeah, that one was out of I think at
Luke Air Force Base outside of Phoenix. If I'm not mistaken,
I recall that one.
Speaker 3 (06:08):
Yeah, a lot of that.
Speaker 2 (06:09):
That could be a mechanical failure, that could be all
of a sudden, it could.
Speaker 3 (06:12):
Have it could have been. But this one here is
going to be human error. I'm pretty sure.
Speaker 2 (06:17):
Question and question.
Speaker 3 (06:20):
Yeah, And as for the uh, the tower, it's I
read up and it's okay for one person to be
handling two uh, helicopters, planes, whatever it may be.
Speaker 5 (06:36):
Well, I'm not.
Speaker 2 (06:36):
Sure that sh Let me say this, Chuck, I don't
know that I can handle two callers simultaneously. And I'm
just a talk show host. I mean, I'm talking to you,
and I got a conversation goal with you. Okay, Now,
let's assume we had Karen from Wisconsin on and sake, Chuck,
let me talk to Karen. Karen, what do you think? Okay,
let me see what Chuck asked this. I don't know.
Speaker 3 (06:59):
Well, you're doing it in a way when you hang
up with me, you're going to talk to somebody else.
Speaker 2 (07:03):
So that they separate. If they're up there talking to
the helicopter and uh and the plane and the pilot
of the plane. Uh, that doesn't.
Speaker 3 (07:15):
Sound to me like a different frequencies, you know. So,
but I I hope to get they get to the
bottom of it very quick. I think they got the
box off the plane, and they.
Speaker 2 (07:27):
Said they have the box off the off the plane,
not off the helicopter. Yet. The other thing is that
those those those military personnel did pretty good. They're not
flying around up there to to commit suicide. That pilot
has apparently was doing the right thing trying to come in,
and they just did. Someone was in the wrong place
(07:48):
at the wrong time, and well.
Speaker 3 (07:50):
It was a retraining thing, and you never know, you know,
I think, uh, if the helicopter flew into the path of.
Speaker 2 (07:57):
It yet, Yeah, I watched that tonight. It looked to
me like the jets coming in and the helicopter hit
it on the right side.
Speaker 3 (08:06):
Yeah, So.
Speaker 2 (08:08):
How could that be? I mean, how could you be
flying a helicopter. It looked it didn't look Last night
they were saying that maybe the plane had dropped dropped
down and had taken the helicopter out for the video. Tonight,
it looked like that plane's coming in and on the
right side of the plane, here comes the helicopter at
a perpendicular angle, you know, ninety degree angle.
Speaker 3 (08:28):
The Blackhawks can fly, you know too, three hundred miles
an hour. So if they were going to full blast,
you know, they you know, maybe they just couldn't get
out of the way in time. I don't know, but
I you know, I hope it never happens again. There's
a lot of questions with this one.
Speaker 2 (08:46):
And let's get some answers.
Speaker 3 (08:47):
A lot of lives upset, Let's get some answers.
Speaker 2 (08:50):
It changed, forever, changed, forever, Chuck is always thanks were
listening down there in the Peach Street State.
Speaker 3 (08:59):
Hey, good show, Dan, thank.
Speaker 2 (09:01):
You, Thanks very much, Chuck. That take a very quick break.
One line at six month seven two, five four or
one line at six months seven nine, three, one, ten thirty.
We will talk about this until eleven o'clock. That's my goal.
As a matter of fact, I'll be very disappointed if
if these lines don't remain full, because this is a
night that on North America's back porch. That's one of
the functions we have here. And the function that we
(09:24):
have here is to make you understand that the feelings
that you're feeling right now, the sadness, there's nothing wrong
with that, and if you want to express it, you
are more than welcome. My name's Dan Ray. This is
night side. We do call it occasionally North America's back porch,
and that's exactly what it is. So step up on
the porch, tell us what you think. If you want
(09:47):
to be analytical and talk about the accident and the
logistics of the accident, fine, if you just want to
talk as a human being and realize that these I
mean lives have been these lives have been changed in aulterately.
They're never going back to where they were thirty six
hours ago. What a tragedy. Back on Night's Side after this.
Speaker 1 (10:09):
Now back to Dan Ray live from the Window World
Night Side Studios on WBZ News Radio.
Speaker 2 (10:16):
Okay, gonna move people a little bit more quickly for
the balance of this hour, So let's go to Stephen Bridgewater. Steve,
It's been a tough, tough twenty four hours here in
New England, hasn't it.
Speaker 6 (10:28):
Yeah, Yeah, Dan, I gotta tell you I was watching
the end of the Sean Hennity Show last night, unflocked it.
All of a sudden, I turn it on. I see
blinking lights all over the place, and I'm saying, what's
this to me? It's the plane with the plane crash there.
So I saw it minutes after it happened. I actually
saw footage of it happening. I gotta tell you, Dan,
(10:50):
from watching it. I'm no expert on the subject matter,
but I see the jet, the commercial jet, coming in
like it's in its approach area powder where we're supposed
to be nice to little dot come over from the
left side of the screen and it like crashes right
into it. I'm saying, wait, didn't they It was a
(11:11):
clear night, clear as glass, no flog, no nothing. It's like,
how could they not have seen the plane? Did they
see themselves going right into the aircraft? But the part
of it that doesn't make sense to me, well.
Speaker 2 (11:25):
It absolutely doesn't make sense at all. And yeah, you
know those pilots or those those military personnel, they're not
they're trying to kill themselves. They're up there trying to
complete their mission. But how could they have made that mistake?
(11:46):
I mean, everything that we see right now is that
the plane was on approach, was under control, and the
the Blackhawk was about one hundred and fifty feet higher
than it should have been.
Speaker 6 (12:04):
Yeah, other than if it came close off it had
to do it go a little higher and go right
over it. The commercial aircraft has passed right over it, right,
It doesn't make sense. You'd think, I know, this isn't
the case, Dan, you would think it was almost done
on purpose.
Speaker 2 (12:20):
But I know, I know that's where you were leading.
But why But that makes no sense. I means there's
some military pilots.
Speaker 6 (12:27):
It looks that way. Yeah, looked that way because no.
Speaker 2 (12:30):
I just what you're saying. No, I get it, I
get it.
Speaker 6 (12:32):
No, no, no, I don't think it actually happened, but
it looked that way. It does not occurring to me
even though I know it wasn't. It's not the case.
What I mean, it's like a car seeing another car
and just driving right into it.
Speaker 2 (12:46):
Steve, wait for the investigation. Let's find out. Let's find
out what happened, because it could never happen again. Thanks man,
We'll talk soon.
Speaker 6 (12:54):
Okay, Yeah, damn, Dan, can I can? I? Can I
say one other thing. One of the things we're talking about,
the air traffic control toy was being understaffed.
Speaker 2 (13:03):
Yeah. I talked about it earlier. I just talked about
it earlier. The New York Times it released. Let me
tell you, what did you hear when I what I
mentioned earlier? Or no, no, no, no, well, let me
tell you. The New York Times released a report today
that said, as of September twenty three, both the FAA
(13:23):
and the Flight Controller Union felt that the Reagan National
Airport should have thirty qualified full time air traffic controllers.
They had nineteen to cover all that's way below. That's
thirty percent below. But both management and the union agreed
upon that's a problem. Go ahead, Jeffrey, whatever you want
(13:46):
to say. Why don't you add whatever you'd like to add.
Speaker 6 (13:49):
Okay, So remember way back, I know that it's been
an issue for years, over forty it's back in nineteen
eighty one when Reagan took Powell took the troll became president.
Speaker 2 (14:00):
Yes, yeah, he fired the air traffic controllers because they
were threatening a strike.
Speaker 6 (14:04):
Yeah, the Pastor union, but maybe way back ending with
these problems too, and they I know he bought the
PATO union, but maybe they weren't totally around either. Maybe
this problem has been going on for years. Let's find
that shortage of yeah, all over the country, not just
not just in that airport.
Speaker 2 (14:26):
Okay, let's find out.
Speaker 6 (14:27):
Thanks Steve, all right, Dan, thank you.
Speaker 2 (14:32):
You welcome Tina and Moonsacket rhodeinan Tina, you were next
on nightside.
Speaker 7 (14:36):
Yes, Hello, Dan, I'm so glad. I Hi, sweetie, I'm
so glad I turned in today. I'm tuned in after
nine o'clock and I've been listening since that time. And
that gentleman just mentioned the air traffic controllers, and I
think they had every right to strike because who their voice,
(15:01):
they have to be heard. And I think that was
a terrible thing that Ronald Reagan did. And I feel
very upset about this, and it makes me stop and
it's a very sober ring to say something like this. Oh,
I realize my problems aren't as bad as all ZI
(15:22):
make them out to be.
Speaker 8 (15:23):
Absolutely, I just respond, they need they need a voice, Tina, let.
Speaker 2 (15:29):
Me respond to what you said. Okay, there's certain professions
in this country which are not allowed to strike. Police
officers cannot strike, firefighters cannot strike, the military cannot strike.
All those folks become and air traffic controllers cannot strike.
(15:54):
They accept those jobs with the understanding if your house
is burning down and you call the fighter problem, they
say to you would love to come Ova, but we're
on strike. It kind of worked that way.
Speaker 7 (16:06):
I why I say that they I know, can I
express myself a little bit better? The reason why I
think that they had the right to strike and they
really don't according to the law, is if they did
go on strike, then Ronald Reagan should have met their
demands within five minutes. Five minutes they should have got
(16:26):
their demands met because we need enough enough of those controllers.
We need qualified people, we need people who need their
who know their job. And I'm just standing up for
the air traffic controllers all over this country in the world.
They have a right to be heard. They have a
right to have enough people. That's how I'm responding to
(16:51):
listening to what you have been talking about since after
nine o'clock. And I understand that they don't have a right,
but they need a voice, and so I want to
be their voice.
Speaker 2 (17:03):
Well, I'm sure they would very much appreciate hearing what
you have to say. I don't know that that's the solution.
But again, what do you do when the fighter problem
wants to strike? Tina? What do you do?
Speaker 7 (17:16):
I've never heard of a fire department wanting to strike.
Speaker 9 (17:20):
Well, the reason they strike is different situation, Tina.
Speaker 2 (17:24):
The reason that you will strike is that the law
says they're not allowed to strike people. They're not you know,
automakers or or whatever. School teachers in Massachusetts cannot strike.
Speaker 7 (17:39):
That's a traffic control is a different situation. It's a
very high sense, stressful job in a different category.
Speaker 2 (17:48):
Fair enough, Tina, what but you got to do here.
Can I make a suggestion, I would suggest that, and
I mean this seriously, that if you really want to
be the voice of this, call maybe either of your
US senators tomorrow, Sheldon Whitehouse or Jack Read and express
that to them and tell them to file legislation which
(18:09):
will give the air traffic controllers the right to strike.
That's that's the that's I think what you got to do.
If you want to, you can wish something is going
to happen, or you can take some action to try
to make it happen. And I think I know you
well enough that you're you're on the side of taking
some action. So call one of your US senators and say,
(18:30):
please file legislation on my you know, on your behalf,
to allow the air traffic controllers the right to strike.
Speaker 5 (18:38):
Fair enough, Dan, Yeah, no, I think that.
Speaker 2 (18:40):
Someone's got to get the ball rolling. Why not beat Tina?
Speaker 7 (18:45):
Sure exactly, Well, that's what I'm saying.
Speaker 2 (18:47):
Sure, I mean, look, look, all great advances in this
country often start with the courage of one person. Remember
Rosa Parks. She refused to sit on the back of
the bus.
Speaker 7 (18:59):
And and I know this situation from what I could
see didn't have anything to do with the air trophic controllers.
I don't know how much of it was their responsibility.
Speaker 2 (19:10):
I can tell you this if the New York Times helicopter,
if you read the New York Times tomorrow, or if
you listen to my show earlier tonight, the New York
Times has a report from the FAA that says that
particular air traffic control tower was understaffed. They need they
(19:31):
needed thirty people full time air traffic controllers to make
that a safe airport, and all they had.
Speaker 7 (19:39):
Was nineteen And that's a bit, right, Dan, I'm agreeing,
and I'm saying to.
Speaker 2 (19:45):
Agree with you too. Okay, great, thanks, thanks so much.
Tabou was great to your voice.
Speaker 7 (19:51):
Okay, thank you, Okay, thanks.
Speaker 2 (19:53):
Talk later, bye bye. We'll take a break the news
at the bottom of the hour. We get only one
line open. One things.
Speaker 1 (20:05):
You're on night Side with Dan Ray on Boston's news radio.
Speaker 2 (20:11):
That report of the New York Times is a great
concern because you cannot have if both the FAA and
the Controllers Union believe that they need thirty full time
qualified air traffic controllers at Reagan National Airport, you can't
(20:34):
do it with nineteen and this then was this was
going to happen. It was just more of a question
of when back to the phones were go going to
go to Karen and Wisconsin. Karen next on nightside, Welcome.
Speaker 10 (20:45):
Hi Dan. Until I'm upset I haven't heard and I'm
not always last night it wasn't on all the time,
but doesn't anybody maybe brought up and I didn't hear it.
But this is so reminiscent to me of the plane
(21:06):
that went into the Potomac almost forty three years ago,
right to the two weeks in January.
Speaker 2 (21:14):
Yeah, we talked about that last night. We re recorded
it different different situation. That was a plane that took
off and it had ice on the wings. It was
the iced properly and it was leading National Reagan well
it wasn't Reagan National that it was just National Airport
and it it just it got off the ground, but
(21:35):
it couldn't gain altitude. And yeah, that was There were
several people who survived that that flight actually, and there
were civilians who actually pulled people out of the water.
So uh, yeah, that that's the one I thought about
for sure. And also, yeah, when we when you when
you focus on the the the the skaters, the young skaters,
(21:56):
and their families and their coaches. Big plane crash back
in nineteen sixty one where the entire US skating team
was going to compete in Europe, and the plane crashed
in nineteen ninety, nineteen sixty one, excuse me, nineteen sixty one,
(22:16):
and everyone on board was killed. The plane crash in Belgium.
So the little there's there's a couple of corollaries here,
as they say, you thought, and I thought last night
about ye January of nineteen eighty was it?
Speaker 10 (22:32):
Let's it was eighty two eighty two January fourteenth, almost
two weeks. I didn't hear. I wouldn't have called, but
I took that bridge to work every day, back and
forth and when that point, and I just it was
five years that I moved to Boston, and to see
that happen, you know it, That is what it reminded me.
Speaker 2 (22:58):
In Boston, we have local an airport, which is obviously
part of the city in East Boston, but National Airport
is very close. You can leave National Airport and with
some luck, you can be a capital within fifteen to
twenty minutes.
Speaker 10 (23:11):
Depend I would sit there, and I would sit there
and watch go down there and watch the planes come
in because it was so much fun, you know, to
watch the planes go right over your head. But this
is just Dan, I just this isn't one one term
presidents doing, but the whole country, just the infrastructure and
(23:37):
things just seem to be kind of falling apart. And
it can't be blamed on one, you know, one party,
but like the trains, the train tracks, and there's just
so much wrong. And why didn't we keep up better
with things like that?
Speaker 2 (23:58):
I don't know, but I think I think that's an
important issue not to lose sight of. And I think
you've identified a really good issue tonight. I just do
want to focus on the loss of those sixty.
Speaker 10 (24:08):
Sevens olds exactly. I'm not going to take it all
on it just it just seems we should be keeping
up better with things in our own li.
Speaker 2 (24:17):
I totally agree. Just roads and to that matter, thanks,
I got run. We'll talk to you, appreciate, thank you,
Happy New Year. It's still January, so I can wish.
Speaker 10 (24:28):
You happy to thank you.
Speaker 6 (24:30):
Dan.
Speaker 2 (24:33):
Let me go next to We're going to go here
Pete and Revere. Pete, you were next time nights that
welcome Hi, Dan, Okay, hear you perfectly, Pete, all right, got.
Speaker 11 (24:43):
Happy to know. I haven't talked to you a long time. Okay, well,
all right, I heard the last half hour every they're
going to talk about, so I'm not gonna go over it.
Everything she said is correct. I want to go back
to Reagan. It's ironic that the President and the the
air part of the same name. But he was like
(25:03):
a one man dog department himself. One of the first
things he did, and I know you're younger, younger than me,
but you'll remember, he made up labels of his name
and put on White House stationary to save money. And
that didn't affect anybody's life. I don't know if you
remember that, all right, Okay, Well that's a frugal thing,
but like I said, it didn't affect anybody, you know,
(25:25):
physically or any other way. But as far as the
inner traffic controllers, you know in Boston alonely had several
near misses, and even the two wing tips did touch
I think in the last month or so you heard that.
I think was even broadcasted on your station. Yeah, well, Logan,
let me say something about the control is that okay?
Speaker 2 (25:47):
Yeah, before you go behold on. I just like to
comment on what you said. I am concerned obviously when
a couple of airplanes on the ground they touched their wings. Okay, absolutely,
but that doesn't worry me as much as what happened
last night because generally when when a couple of the
planes are backing around or something and then and there's
(26:10):
the wings are touched, no one gets hurt. Last night
sixty full agreement.
Speaker 11 (26:16):
But I want to mention something else. It's another accident
waiting to happen. There to be many, many more than
what the sixties, so people that we lotted which should
have never happened. And again that was due of due
to enough controllers and they're working all the time in
too many hours. That's the fact. My brother was a
federal meat inspector. He passed away last year through age
(26:39):
and orange to thank to Vietnam. But he told me
many times that in the same vein when a meat
inspector either retired or died, they the other inspected around.
They're not to have areas would still in like they
take on two or three hours in addition to their load.
Now when the meet is not properly inspected. Number one
(27:00):
aren't supposed to become dog food when you make mistakes
with that? How many is that going to affect? How
many people? Now, I'm just saying this is a reality
with you.
Speaker 4 (27:10):
Yeah.
Speaker 11 (27:10):
No, I'm just saying, but well, what is being done
about that? That's my question? What is being done about that?
I say it's an accident waiting to happen. I don't
want to see it now. I don't eat it out
of me, but that doesn't matter. I'm not invading. I'm
just saying that's a very bad thing.
Speaker 2 (27:25):
You got it, Pete. You raised another good issue, and
I thank you for it. We're just gonna I want
to keep the focus tonight.
Speaker 11 (27:32):
No, I got you. I don't want to think how
much time? Just want man. I have other things I
could say, but I'm not going to say it tonight.
All right, Just happen to know you again and see
your friend Kenny. Give gives Kenny a handshake from me.
I haven't seen him either. Four while, Okay, you call
me any other night. Thank you.
Speaker 2 (27:50):
Let's get one. We're in here, Joe and Belmore. Joe
welcome next one night side Dan time.
Speaker 4 (27:55):
Man.
Speaker 12 (27:55):
If he can't do it, no one can Dan I'm
going to try to stick to a topic or a subject,
because you know how I skip around. What do you think?
Speaker 2 (28:06):
I definitely want you to stick to the topic because
it's an important night, Jeus.
Speaker 12 (28:10):
What do you think of the Russian couple of the
World champions skaters who went down they had everything to
live for?
Speaker 2 (28:17):
Well, I think everybody has everything to live for. The
two young teenage skaters, their moms. I mean, just it's
as well as the other you know, sixty one people
that are involved, the military folks, their lives, their families'
lives have been shattered. Everyone on that plane they had
loved ones and you know, families and whether it was
(28:39):
moms and dads or husbands or wives or children. Look,
it's just, you know, just so sad, so sad, and
so unnecessary.
Speaker 12 (28:50):
Dan, I have a fear of flying. What about it?
Turbulence and lightning.
Speaker 2 (28:56):
Whenever you're up in a plane, Joe and you get
a little lightning or turbulence, I feel the same way.
It's like I'm ready to grab the rosary beads. You
know what I'm saying.
Speaker 12 (29:04):
I haven't been on a plane since two thousand and five.
Speaker 2 (29:08):
Well, you haven't missed anything, because they haven't got any
more comfortable since two thousand and five. The seats haven't
gotten any bigger, the food hasn't gotten any better. Trust
me on that. Okay, so you're a spot man in
that regard.
Speaker 12 (29:23):
Thanks for taking my calls in God.
Speaker 2 (29:25):
Calling in Joe. We'll talk soon, okay, Thanks, Happy New Year.
Speaker 12 (29:29):
Thank to you, right back at you, all right, Thanks.
Speaker 2 (29:31):
Good night, take a break. I got one line open.
I'm gonna do my best to get Phil Barry Nonah
Nonah in Hudson, New Hampshire, and Donnie in and if
you want to take one, the only one line I
got is for you. Six one, seven, two, five, four,
ten thirty. We're going to change topics at eleven o'clock.
We have a guest schedule. I think you're going to
(29:53):
enjoy the topic. We're going to talk about people who
are addicted to social media and the internet what can
be done to allow them to shake that addiction. Back
on Nightside after.
Speaker 1 (30:05):
This, Now back to Dan ray Mine from the Window
World Nightside Studios on w b Z News Radio.
Speaker 2 (30:14):
There we go, let's keep. We're going to get everybody
in somehow someway. We'll see. Let's go to Nonah. No, Noah,
it's Nonah. I hope with an n in Hudson, New Hampshire.
Speaker 5 (30:24):
Yes, the know the reason I can't pl my satellite
radio game.
Speaker 2 (30:28):
Well, thank you very much. I'm hoping I'm saving you
some money.
Speaker 5 (30:31):
Nonah, welcome because I'm addicted to your show. God bless
you for dealing with them a lot of stuff.
Speaker 2 (30:39):
Thank you, thank you very much, And Bob.
Speaker 5 (30:42):
Bless all those families that were affected last night. And yes,
the FAA is definitely under theft. And you know, I
don't want to blame like the pilot, like the military guy,
because maybe he freaked out. Should he have been at
(31:03):
the same altitude, but should be fa the air Traffic
Control has said follow him in. Probably not. Oh, we
don't really know until like we know.
Speaker 2 (31:17):
Yeah, let's get let's get all the evidence. And I
think the President got a little ahead of himself today
to be honest with you.
Speaker 13 (31:22):
But let's I think so true. I think so true
because I went in too work late today because I
was glued to the TV. Because you know, I just
I just pray for all of.
Speaker 5 (31:35):
Those families that were affected. And once we know them,
we know, we can't we can't jump to conclusions, right,
we can't. We can't judge anybody. But maybe that pilot
maybe he freaked out, Like maybe he just at the
last minute freaked.
Speaker 2 (31:54):
Yeah, I know, you know, you can have iviusly people
gonna have a nervous breakdown. But I bet that I
think he was just flying and he was. He was.
He was at three hundred and fifty feet. They're supposed
to have separation. He was supposed to be no higher
than two hundred feet and yep, I don't know if
they find out that his altimeter was broken or whatever,
(32:17):
I don't know. Let's I agree with you. Let's let's
find out what the truth is and then we can
we can talk. But tonight, I think it's a night
to remember those were lost and to also pray for
their family members that they can find peace.
Speaker 5 (32:32):
You know, those families, those kids, those moms, like.
Speaker 2 (32:37):
You know, is this your first time calling?
Speaker 5 (32:43):
No, this is my third. Well you told me like
the first time I called it, that I have to
cancel the light radio because I'm your show.
Speaker 2 (32:51):
Well you keep canceling and remember, if anybody tries to
charge you for Nightside, you call me directly.
Speaker 5 (32:56):
Okay, God I love your show, and like I said,
God bless you, because I hear some of your calls
and sometimes I'm like, oh my god, I don't know
how we how we I don't know how you get through.
Speaker 2 (33:08):
It, not at all. I love everybody who calls, whether
they agree to disagree. Without them, I don't have a show.
So that's the way I look at it.
Speaker 5 (33:16):
God bless you, Right back at you, New Year find
out so happy New Year.
Speaker 2 (33:23):
I can't say that once we're over January, so I
only got one one night I can say that. That's
my rule of thumb. In February, it's no more happy
New Year's. Thanks knowing to talk to you later. Bye,
thank you you too. Good night, fill in Boston, fill
your next one nights. I go right ahead. Good.
Speaker 14 (33:39):
I wasn't gonna call you for just the same reason
you would. You mentioned earlier the seriousness of the failing
of any But did you mentioned someone mentioned unions and
didn't they strike back in the early seventies and expisidentally,
I thought someone else grabbed my tail here. The Ragan
Airport was named death the Reagan and he's the one
(34:01):
that fired.
Speaker 2 (34:02):
All yeah he did, yeah, no, he said this was
this was nineteen eighty one, I think or eighty two,
and yeah, Reagan, Reagan, did you know air traffic controllers.
I'm not supposed to strike. There's a whole bunch of
reasons why you have a tremendous impact economy.
Speaker 14 (34:19):
Everybody Philly quickly, and it was Philly kind of good. No,
I mean luckily, we ran pretty good.
Speaker 4 (34:26):
I don't want to well, I.
Speaker 2 (34:27):
Would think anyone that that anyone that got hired to
be an air traffic controller, let us say in nineteen
eighty two, they're now working for forty two years there,
long since retired.
Speaker 14 (34:37):
That's what I'm saying. So what do we have now?
Now we've got the jew whatever, call a JV team
whatever it is. I'm just kidding.
Speaker 2 (34:46):
Let's let's let's see what happens. I don't want to
prejudge it.
Speaker 14 (34:49):
No, I know, I know. I'm just saying. I know,
but I you know, but you think one more time,
for you think, isn't that airport closed us through the
all the what white house in the pen that you
mentioned Pentagon isn't really close to what the yes, all
the big shots goals. We think that airport would have
been run.
Speaker 3 (35:09):
By the best of the best.
Speaker 14 (35:10):
You know, I'm guessing I.
Speaker 2 (35:13):
Agree with you. I totally agree with you, man, I
really do. I Phil, I got three more. I'm going
to try to say none of them. We're going to
get much time, but we'll give it a shot.
Speaker 3 (35:21):
Okay, thank you very much, sir.
Speaker 2 (35:23):
I feel appreciate it very much. Okay, I'm going to
try to buzz through you quickly, but we're changing topics.
At eleven o'clock. Barry and Norwa, Barry, you got you
got the micro red ahead.
Speaker 9 (35:33):
My Dan, it's books to a Barry. I want to
bring up there's there's a TV series called The Air
Crash Investigation or Air Emergency or may Day. It's in
three different countries. It's been on for twenty four seasons,
and they each episode they investigate a crash. Okay, and
I want to say that if to respect the salute
(35:55):
the people who investigate, the men and women who are
the professional, it's very professional. They find out the cause
of each accident and for that, from that they make
more safety. Safety there's a lesson to be learned. If
there's a silver lining, there's going to be some safety
(36:15):
lesson that's learned. And the professional people who conduct these
investigations are the best of the best.
Speaker 2 (36:23):
That's the National Transport I assume you're talking about the
National Transportation Safety Board.
Speaker 9 (36:29):
Yes, person and the other two investigate from Boeing and
from the their associated agencies, and they they're very, very
very good at what they do, and they find out
what's wrong, and they've helped to fix it, and they
won't happen again. Whatever happens.
Speaker 2 (36:48):
Let us hope not Berry. Thank you much. I owe
you a visit at the bookstore on top. We'll meet someday,
I promise.
Speaker 9 (36:53):
Okay, thank you, Dan, I have a good day, and
thank you for being my friend.
Speaker 2 (36:57):
Let me go to Donnie and Walpole. Donnie got room
for you and Ed and marshiall go right ahead, Donnie.
Speaker 8 (37:02):
Dan, I just want to comment on the plane that
back in the afi A flight.
Speaker 12 (37:13):
It was the ice.
Speaker 8 (37:16):
And then it sat on the taxiway.
Speaker 2 (37:20):
In a problem. It had a problem with ice. You correct,
it sat on the taxi and they learned from that,
and now when you're when you're on a plane, they'll
de ice the plane three or four times until you
get off the gate. They won't let it rebuild. And
that's what happened exactly. And the plane was too heavy,
it got off the ground a little bit and then
it crashed right into that bridge.
Speaker 4 (37:39):
Yeah.
Speaker 8 (37:39):
And I can remember the island's name being Larry and
they said they weren't going to naked and they didn't.
Speaker 2 (37:46):
Yeah. And there was a guy who actually jumped in
the river. I think his name was Lenny slot Neck.
And I think Reagan recognized him at a State of
the Union address as being really an unsung American hero.
He saved people that day that he survived, that memory
of it.
Speaker 8 (38:05):
He handed the rope to someone else, and he waited
insurn yes, in his.
Speaker 2 (38:11):
His civilian clothes, his cold January day. Donnie, I gotta
get one more and call more often and call earlier
because I want to talk with you longer.
Speaker 6 (38:19):
Okay, all right, that's good, Dan Grade, evening.
Speaker 2 (38:22):
You too, Donnie Ed. You're the last of the hour
I got you in Yougrett ahead. Oh then, Happy New Year,
sad night, sad night.
Speaker 4 (38:33):
You know what to uh at Logan for over thirty years,
and I see the trouble over the years is just
a congestion. Logan's gone from you know, being wide open
space and plenty of room for planes to it's you're
(38:55):
going to see all these planes getting clipped. That's just
going to be on the news all the time. But
that's not a big safety concern. But what I see
in Washington.
Speaker 2 (39:05):
I got about thirty seconds left here, ED, So you
got to be quitful.
Speaker 4 (39:10):
It's too congestion, too much congestion, and that's a big problem.
And why are we doing a training mission in a
congested air space? You know, you can do a training mission.
It could be way way in inland.
Speaker 2 (39:26):
You know, up by Dallas Airport. They got plenty of
room up by Dallas, west of the city.
Speaker 4 (39:32):
ED.
Speaker 2 (39:32):
I'm flat out of time. I can only ask you
to call again, and to call a little earlier, and
we can have a longer conversation, particularly knowing your experience. Okay,
oh take care. Yeah, thanks, I appreciate it. When we
come back on to talk about addicted to the Internet.
It's not a good thing as a serious problem. And
looking forward to talking with you
It's Nights with Dan Ray.
Speaker 2 (00:03):
I'm Boston Radio with Steve Rowland. Here we are talking
about the only story that really we can talk about tonight,
and that is the horrific DC plane crash that took
the lives of some sixty seven people. I think everyone
knows the story at this point. We hear in New
England field it particularly because at least six of the
(00:27):
passengers were from New England. They were involved in a
skating development camp out in Kansas, also some competition out there,
and two young skaters, sixteen year old Spencer Lane of Barrington,
Rhode Island and thirteen year old Ginahan of Mansfield, and
(00:47):
their moms, Christine Lane and Ginhan perished in this senseless tragedy.
Also their coaches and Genia and Vadim Nimov Nimov who
won the world championship in nineteen ninety four, and they
(01:12):
were on their way back from what's called the national
development camp in which you could talk Kansas when the
collision occurred last night. There's a story today that The
New York Times has sourced which says that there was
only one controller on duty, handling both the helicopter, the
military helicopter and the plane that was coming in. Look
(01:36):
you considered an airport. You watched these planes land every
thirty seconds. Maybe it's time to space them out more.
Maybe it's time to pull some flights down. Maybe it's
time to make it less convenient for Americans. Okay, if
we could save lives, maybe we need more shorter flight.
Maybe we need more connecting flights. There has to be
a better way to do it than to have something
like this happen. I just think that air traffic travel
(02:01):
air travel has become like bus travel. You see people
get on planes and they're bringing or they bring in
Duffel bags. I mean, you know, they maybe, somehow, some way,
the airlines and the passenger organizations can get together give
(02:21):
people a little bit more room, maybe not cram people
in as tightly as they do. Flying coach is miserable,
miserable for the most part, whether you're in the window
seat or the or the middle seat. They don't make
it fun. They've cut back on every creature comfort. Uh,
you're knock. Can fly across the country and there's no
(02:41):
meal service. I just I don't know. I'm not an expert,
I'm not an economist in air travel, but there has
to be a better way to doing that. The public's
not happy. You get to airports now, and unless you
want to go to the kiosk, you'll have to wait
in line. Sometimes you have to wait in line at
(03:03):
the kiosks. They have cut back, cut back, cut back,
And if they've cut back on the public facing personnel
at the counter, then you know that they've also cut
back in other areas. And again it comes back to
the being counters. The being counters are the people who
who will ruin this country, and ruin this economy, and
ruin great cooperations in this company, in this country. Six
(03:25):
one seven two four ten thirty. Those lines are full.
There's one line at six one seven nine three one
ten thirty. Let me get to Chuck in Georgia, Chuck,
But I appreciate your patience. I didn't want to short
change the last hour. Your next your first is our
night side.
Speaker 3 (03:39):
Yes, how you doing?
Speaker 4 (03:40):
Dan?
Speaker 2 (03:41):
Uh? You know? Pretty good? I mean I I just
think that this is an unnecessary tragedy. I I this
is a big story up here tonight, Chuck. I know
it's a big story in Georgia. But you lost some
some amazing young people and athletes on that flight last night.
Speaker 3 (04:01):
Well, you're right, and you know it's it's for the
being counters. It's always volume, you know, the quicker you
can get them in, quicker you can get them out,
and so forth. And I'm I'm not so sure that's
the reason for this problem. But I know that the
tower actually got a hold of the helicopter and it
(04:24):
was on a retraining flight. I mean, to bring every
all the pilots up to snuff, I'm sure, But I
wonder if they were supposed to be wearing night goggles.
I think that's standard operating procedure for the military and helicopters.
Speaker 2 (04:40):
And why wouldn't they We'll never know. Will We're never
going to know. I don't think so. Well. My question
is why were they at three hundred and fifty feet?
I heard today on several news horses that these helicopters
who are functioning in that area. I don't know why
they have to function in that area specifically, but if you.
Speaker 3 (05:01):
Were in the standard flight path too, yeah, why, I.
Speaker 2 (05:06):
Don't know what they're talking about. It Are they worried
about people attacking the Pentagon? I but let's assume that
it's necessary. Well, could they not do it maybe at
a time in the in the in the early morning
hours when there were fewer planes landing.
Speaker 3 (05:21):
I mean, I just yes. And why are they in
the standard flight carridor for these planes? You know, there's
a big sky out there. I don't know why they're
in that carridor, but they are.
Speaker 2 (05:34):
Well, the other thing is they're supposed to win. They're
in that corridor. The news reports, I saw it that
they said they have to stay at or below two
hundred feet and the collision occurreded three hundred and fifty feet.
Speaker 3 (05:45):
Well, pre training, Dan, I don't know what to say.
We've seen a jet in Arizona a few years ago.
It was on a training mission, went down in the desert.
Seen a number of things happen in these retraining things.
Speaker 2 (06:01):
And yeah, that one was out of I think at
Luke Air Force Base outside of Phoenix. If I'm not mistaken,
I recall that one.
Speaker 3 (06:08):
Yeah, a lot of that.
Speaker 2 (06:09):
That could be a mechanical failure, that could be all
of a sudden, it could.
Speaker 3 (06:12):
Have it could have been. But this one here is
going to be human error. I'm pretty sure.
Speaker 2 (06:17):
Question and question.
Speaker 3 (06:20):
Yeah, And as for the uh, the tower, it's I
read up and it's okay for one person to be
handling two uh, helicopters, planes, whatever it may be.
Speaker 5 (06:36):
Well, I'm not.
Speaker 2 (06:36):
Sure that sh Let me say this, Chuck, I don't
know that I can handle two callers simultaneously. And I'm
just a talk show host. I mean, I'm talking to you,
and I got a conversation goal with you. Okay, Now,
let's assume we had Karen from Wisconsin on and sake, Chuck,
let me talk to Karen. Karen, what do you think? Okay,
let me see what Chuck asked this. I don't know.
Speaker 3 (06:59):
Well, you're doing it in a way when you hang
up with me, you're going to talk to somebody else.
Speaker 2 (07:03):
So that they separate. If they're up there talking to
the helicopter and uh and the plane and the pilot
of the plane. Uh, that doesn't.
Speaker 3 (07:15):
Sound to me like a different frequencies, you know. So,
but I I hope to get they get to the
bottom of it very quick. I think they got the
box off the plane, and they.
Speaker 2 (07:27):
Said they have the box off the off the plane,
not off the helicopter. Yet. The other thing is that
those those those military personnel did pretty good. They're not
flying around up there to to commit suicide. That pilot
has apparently was doing the right thing trying to come in,
and they just did. Someone was in the wrong place
(07:48):
at the wrong time, and well.
Speaker 3 (07:50):
It was a retraining thing, and you never know, you know,
I think, uh, if the helicopter flew into the path of.
Speaker 2 (07:57):
It yet, Yeah, I watched that tonight. It looked to
me like the jets coming in and the helicopter hit
it on the right side.
Speaker 3 (08:06):
Yeah, So.
Speaker 2 (08:08):
How could that be? I mean, how could you be
flying a helicopter. It looked it didn't look Last night
they were saying that maybe the plane had dropped dropped
down and had taken the helicopter out for the video. Tonight,
it looked like that plane's coming in and on the
right side of the plane, here comes the helicopter at
a perpendicular angle, you know, ninety degree angle.
Speaker 3 (08:28):
The Blackhawks can fly, you know too, three hundred miles
an hour. So if they were going to full blast,
you know, they you know, maybe they just couldn't get
out of the way in time. I don't know, but
I you know, I hope it never happens again. There's
a lot of questions with this one.
Speaker 2 (08:46):
And let's get some answers.
Speaker 3 (08:47):
A lot of lives upset, Let's get some answers.
Speaker 2 (08:50):
It changed, forever, changed, forever, Chuck is always thanks were
listening down there in the Peach Street State.
Speaker 3 (08:59):
Hey, good show, Dan, thank.
Speaker 2 (09:01):
You, Thanks very much, Chuck. That take a very quick break.
One line at six month seven two, five four or
one line at six months seven nine, three, one, ten thirty.
We will talk about this until eleven o'clock. That's my goal.
As a matter of fact, I'll be very disappointed if
if these lines don't remain full, because this is a
night that on North America's back porch. That's one of
the functions we have here. And the function that we
(09:24):
have here is to make you understand that the feelings
that you're feeling right now, the sadness, there's nothing wrong
with that, and if you want to express it, you
are more than welcome. My name's Dan Ray. This is
night side. We do call it occasionally North America's back porch,
and that's exactly what it is. So step up on
the porch, tell us what you think. If you want
(09:47):
to be analytical and talk about the accident and the
logistics of the accident, fine, if you just want to
talk as a human being and realize that these I
mean lives have been these lives have been changed in aulterately.
They're never going back to where they were thirty six
hours ago. What a tragedy. Back on Night's Side after this.
Speaker 1 (10:09):
Now back to Dan Ray live from the Window World
Night Side Studios on WBZ News Radio.
Speaker 2 (10:16):
Okay, gonna move people a little bit more quickly for
the balance of this hour, So let's go to Stephen Bridgewater. Steve,
It's been a tough, tough twenty four hours here in
New England, hasn't it.
Speaker 6 (10:28):
Yeah, Yeah, Dan, I gotta tell you I was watching
the end of the Sean Hennity Show last night, unflocked it.
All of a sudden, I turn it on. I see
blinking lights all over the place, and I'm saying, what's
this to me? It's the plane with the plane crash there.
So I saw it minutes after it happened. I actually
saw footage of it happening. I gotta tell you, Dan,
(10:50):
from watching it. I'm no expert on the subject matter,
but I see the jet, the commercial jet, coming in
like it's in its approach area powder where we're supposed
to be nice to little dot come over from the
left side of the screen and it like crashes right
into it. I'm saying, wait, didn't they It was a
(11:11):
clear night, clear as glass, no flog, no nothing. It's like,
how could they not have seen the plane? Did they
see themselves going right into the aircraft? But the part
of it that doesn't make sense to me, well.
Speaker 2 (11:25):
It absolutely doesn't make sense at all. And yeah, you
know those pilots or those those military personnel, they're not
they're trying to kill themselves. They're up there trying to
complete their mission. But how could they have made that mistake?
(11:46):
I mean, everything that we see right now is that
the plane was on approach, was under control, and the
the Blackhawk was about one hundred and fifty feet higher
than it should have been.
Speaker 6 (12:04):
Yeah, other than if it came close off it had
to do it go a little higher and go right
over it. The commercial aircraft has passed right over it, right,
It doesn't make sense. You'd think, I know, this isn't
the case, Dan, you would think it was almost done
on purpose.
Speaker 2 (12:20):
But I know, I know that's where you were leading.
But why But that makes no sense. I means there's
some military pilots.
Speaker 6 (12:27):
It looks that way. Yeah, looked that way because no.
Speaker 2 (12:30):
I just what you're saying. No, I get it, I
get it.
Speaker 6 (12:32):
No, no, no, I don't think it actually happened, but
it looked that way. It does not occurring to me
even though I know it wasn't. It's not the case.
What I mean, it's like a car seeing another car
and just driving right into it.
Speaker 2 (12:46):
Steve, wait for the investigation. Let's find out. Let's find
out what happened, because it could never happen again. Thanks man,
We'll talk soon.
Speaker 6 (12:54):
Okay, Yeah, damn, Dan, can I can? I? Can I
say one other thing. One of the things we're talking about,
the air traffic control toy was being understaffed.
Speaker 2 (13:03):
Yeah. I talked about it earlier. I just talked about
it earlier. The New York Times it released. Let me
tell you, what did you hear when I what I
mentioned earlier? Or no, no, no, no, well, let me
tell you. The New York Times released a report today
that said, as of September twenty three, both the FAA
(13:23):
and the Flight Controller Union felt that the Reagan National
Airport should have thirty qualified full time air traffic controllers.
They had nineteen to cover all that's way below. That's
thirty percent below. But both management and the union agreed
upon that's a problem. Go ahead, Jeffrey, whatever you want
(13:46):
to say. Why don't you add whatever you'd like to add.
Speaker 6 (13:49):
Okay, So remember way back, I know that it's been
an issue for years, over forty it's back in nineteen
eighty one when Reagan took Powell took the troll became president.
Speaker 2 (14:00):
Yes, yeah, he fired the air traffic controllers because they
were threatening a strike.
Speaker 6 (14:04):
Yeah, the Pastor union, but maybe way back ending with
these problems too, and they I know he bought the
PATO union, but maybe they weren't totally around either. Maybe
this problem has been going on for years. Let's find
that shortage of yeah, all over the country, not just
not just in that airport.
Speaker 2 (14:26):
Okay, let's find out.
Speaker 6 (14:27):
Thanks Steve, all right, Dan, thank you.
Speaker 2 (14:32):
You welcome Tina and Moonsacket rhodeinan Tina, you were next
on nightside.
Speaker 7 (14:36):
Yes, Hello, Dan, I'm so glad. I Hi, sweetie, I'm
so glad I turned in today. I'm tuned in after
nine o'clock and I've been listening since that time. And
that gentleman just mentioned the air traffic controllers, and I
think they had every right to strike because who their voice,
(15:01):
they have to be heard. And I think that was
a terrible thing that Ronald Reagan did. And I feel
very upset about this, and it makes me stop and
it's a very sober ring to say something like this. Oh,
I realize my problems aren't as bad as all ZI
(15:22):
make them out to be.
Speaker 8 (15:23):
Absolutely, I just respond, they need they need a voice, Tina, let.
Speaker 2 (15:29):
Me respond to what you said. Okay, there's certain professions
in this country which are not allowed to strike. Police
officers cannot strike, firefighters cannot strike, the military cannot strike.
All those folks become and air traffic controllers cannot strike.
(15:54):
They accept those jobs with the understanding if your house
is burning down and you call the fighter problem, they
say to you would love to come Ova, but we're
on strike. It kind of worked that way.
Speaker 7 (16:06):
I why I say that they I know, can I
express myself a little bit better? The reason why I
think that they had the right to strike and they
really don't according to the law, is if they did
go on strike, then Ronald Reagan should have met their
demands within five minutes. Five minutes they should have got
(16:26):
their demands met because we need enough enough of those controllers.
We need qualified people, we need people who need their
who know their job. And I'm just standing up for
the air traffic controllers all over this country in the world.
They have a right to be heard. They have a
right to have enough people. That's how I'm responding to
(16:51):
listening to what you have been talking about since after
nine o'clock. And I understand that they don't have a right,
but they need a voice, and so I want to
be their voice.
Speaker 2 (17:03):
Well, I'm sure they would very much appreciate hearing what
you have to say. I don't know that that's the solution.
But again, what do you do when the fighter problem
wants to strike? Tina? What do you do?
Speaker 7 (17:16):
I've never heard of a fire department wanting to strike.
Speaker 9 (17:20):
Well, the reason they strike is different situation, Tina.
Speaker 2 (17:24):
The reason that you will strike is that the law
says they're not allowed to strike people. They're not you know,
automakers or or whatever. School teachers in Massachusetts cannot strike.
Speaker 7 (17:39):
That's a traffic control is a different situation. It's a
very high sense, stressful job in a different category.
Speaker 2 (17:48):
Fair enough, Tina, what but you got to do here.
Can I make a suggestion, I would suggest that, and
I mean this seriously, that if you really want to
be the voice of this, call maybe either of your
US senators tomorrow, Sheldon Whitehouse or Jack Read and express
that to them and tell them to file legislation which
(18:09):
will give the air traffic controllers the right to strike.
That's that's the that's I think what you got to do.
If you want to, you can wish something is going
to happen, or you can take some action to try
to make it happen. And I think I know you
well enough that you're you're on the side of taking
some action. So call one of your US senators and say,
(18:30):
please file legislation on my you know, on your behalf,
to allow the air traffic controllers the right to strike.
Speaker 5 (18:38):
Fair enough, Dan, Yeah, no, I think that.
Speaker 2 (18:40):
Someone's got to get the ball rolling. Why not beat Tina?
Speaker 7 (18:45):
Sure exactly, Well, that's what I'm saying.
Speaker 2 (18:47):
Sure, I mean, look, look, all great advances in this
country often start with the courage of one person. Remember
Rosa Parks. She refused to sit on the back of
the bus.
Speaker 7 (18:59):
And and I know this situation from what I could
see didn't have anything to do with the air trophic controllers.
I don't know how much of it was their responsibility.
Speaker 2 (19:10):
I can tell you this if the New York Times helicopter,
if you read the New York Times tomorrow, or if
you listen to my show earlier tonight, the New York
Times has a report from the FAA that says that
particular air traffic control tower was understaffed. They need they
(19:31):
needed thirty people full time air traffic controllers to make
that a safe airport, and all they had.
Speaker 7 (19:39):
Was nineteen And that's a bit, right, Dan, I'm agreeing,
and I'm saying to.
Speaker 2 (19:45):
Agree with you too. Okay, great, thanks, thanks so much.
Tabou was great to your voice.
Speaker 7 (19:51):
Okay, thank you, Okay, thanks.
Speaker 2 (19:53):
Talk later, bye bye. We'll take a break the news
at the bottom of the hour. We get only one
line open. One things.
Speaker 1 (20:05):
You're on night Side with Dan Ray on Boston's news radio.
Speaker 2 (20:11):
That report of the New York Times is a great
concern because you cannot have if both the FAA and
the Controllers Union believe that they need thirty full time
qualified air traffic controllers at Reagan National Airport, you can't
(20:34):
do it with nineteen and this then was this was
going to happen. It was just more of a question
of when back to the phones were go going to
go to Karen and Wisconsin. Karen next on nightside, Welcome.
Speaker 10 (20:45):
Hi Dan. Until I'm upset I haven't heard and I'm
not always last night it wasn't on all the time,
but doesn't anybody maybe brought up and I didn't hear it.
But this is so reminiscent to me of the plane
(21:06):
that went into the Potomac almost forty three years ago,
right to the two weeks in January.
Speaker 2 (21:14):
Yeah, we talked about that last night. We re recorded
it different different situation. That was a plane that took
off and it had ice on the wings. It was
the iced properly and it was leading National Reagan well
it wasn't Reagan National that it was just National Airport
and it it just it got off the ground, but
(21:35):
it couldn't gain altitude. And yeah, that was There were
several people who survived that that flight actually, and there
were civilians who actually pulled people out of the water.
So uh, yeah, that that's the one I thought about
for sure. And also, yeah, when we when you when
you focus on the the the the skaters, the young skaters,
(21:56):
and their families and their coaches. Big plane crash back
in nineteen sixty one where the entire US skating team
was going to compete in Europe, and the plane crashed
in nineteen ninety, nineteen sixty one, excuse me, nineteen sixty one,
(22:16):
and everyone on board was killed. The plane crash in Belgium.
So the little there's there's a couple of corollaries here,
as they say, you thought, and I thought last night
about ye January of nineteen eighty was it?
Speaker 10 (22:32):
Let's it was eighty two eighty two January fourteenth, almost
two weeks. I didn't hear. I wouldn't have called, but
I took that bridge to work every day, back and
forth and when that point, and I just it was
five years that I moved to Boston, and to see
that happen, you know it, That is what it reminded me.
Speaker 2 (22:58):
In Boston, we have local an airport, which is obviously
part of the city in East Boston, but National Airport
is very close. You can leave National Airport and with
some luck, you can be a capital within fifteen to
twenty minutes.
Speaker 10 (23:11):
Depend I would sit there, and I would sit there
and watch go down there and watch the planes come
in because it was so much fun, you know, to
watch the planes go right over your head. But this
is just Dan, I just this isn't one one term
presidents doing, but the whole country, just the infrastructure and
(23:37):
things just seem to be kind of falling apart. And
it can't be blamed on one, you know, one party,
but like the trains, the train tracks, and there's just
so much wrong. And why didn't we keep up better
with things like that?
Speaker 2 (23:58):
I don't know, but I think I think that's an
important issue not to lose sight of. And I think
you've identified a really good issue tonight. I just do
want to focus on the loss of those sixty.
Speaker 10 (24:08):
Sevens olds exactly. I'm not going to take it all
on it just it just seems we should be keeping
up better with things in our own li.
Speaker 2 (24:17):
I totally agree. Just roads and to that matter, thanks,
I got run. We'll talk to you, appreciate, thank you,
Happy New Year. It's still January, so I can wish.
Speaker 10 (24:28):
You happy to thank you.
Speaker 6 (24:30):
Dan.
Speaker 2 (24:33):
Let me go next to We're going to go here
Pete and Revere. Pete, you were next time nights that
welcome Hi, Dan, Okay, hear you perfectly, Pete, all right, got.
Speaker 11 (24:43):
Happy to know. I haven't talked to you a long time. Okay, well,
all right, I heard the last half hour every they're
going to talk about, so I'm not gonna go over it.
Everything she said is correct. I want to go back
to Reagan. It's ironic that the President and the the
air part of the same name. But he was like
(25:03):
a one man dog department himself. One of the first
things he did, and I know you're younger, younger than me,
but you'll remember, he made up labels of his name
and put on White House stationary to save money. And
that didn't affect anybody's life. I don't know if you
remember that, all right, Okay, Well that's a frugal thing,
but like I said, it didn't affect anybody, you know,
(25:25):
physically or any other way. But as far as the
inner traffic controllers, you know in Boston alonely had several
near misses, and even the two wing tips did touch
I think in the last month or so you heard that.
I think was even broadcasted on your station. Yeah, well, Logan,
let me say something about the control is that okay?
Speaker 2 (25:47):
Yeah, before you go behold on. I just like to
comment on what you said. I am concerned obviously when
a couple of airplanes on the ground they touched their wings. Okay, absolutely,
but that doesn't worry me as much as what happened
last night because generally when when a couple of the
planes are backing around or something and then and there's
(26:10):
the wings are touched, no one gets hurt. Last night
sixty full agreement.
Speaker 11 (26:16):
But I want to mention something else. It's another accident
waiting to happen. There to be many, many more than
what the sixties, so people that we lotted which should
have never happened. And again that was due of due
to enough controllers and they're working all the time in
too many hours. That's the fact. My brother was a
federal meat inspector. He passed away last year through age
(26:39):
and orange to thank to Vietnam. But he told me
many times that in the same vein when a meat
inspector either retired or died, they the other inspected around.
They're not to have areas would still in like they
take on two or three hours in addition to their load.
Now when the meet is not properly inspected. Number one
(27:00):
aren't supposed to become dog food when you make mistakes
with that? How many is that going to affect? How
many people? Now, I'm just saying this is a reality
with you.
Speaker 4 (27:10):
Yeah.
Speaker 11 (27:10):
No, I'm just saying, but well, what is being done
about that? That's my question? What is being done about that?
I say it's an accident waiting to happen. I don't
want to see it now. I don't eat it out
of me, but that doesn't matter. I'm not invading. I'm
just saying that's a very bad thing.
Speaker 2 (27:25):
You got it, Pete. You raised another good issue, and
I thank you for it. We're just gonna I want
to keep the focus tonight.
Speaker 11 (27:32):
No, I got you. I don't want to think how
much time? Just want man. I have other things I
could say, but I'm not going to say it tonight.
All right, Just happen to know you again and see
your friend Kenny. Give gives Kenny a handshake from me.
I haven't seen him either. Four while, Okay, you call
me any other night. Thank you.
Speaker 2 (27:50):
Let's get one. We're in here, Joe and Belmore. Joe
welcome next one night side Dan time.
Speaker 4 (27:55):
Man.
Speaker 12 (27:55):
If he can't do it, no one can Dan I'm
going to try to stick to a topic or a subject,
because you know how I skip around. What do you think?
Speaker 2 (28:06):
I definitely want you to stick to the topic because
it's an important night, Jeus.
Speaker 12 (28:10):
What do you think of the Russian couple of the
World champions skaters who went down they had everything to
live for?
Speaker 2 (28:17):
Well, I think everybody has everything to live for. The
two young teenage skaters, their moms. I mean, just it's
as well as the other you know, sixty one people
that are involved, the military folks, their lives, their families'
lives have been shattered. Everyone on that plane they had
loved ones and you know, families and whether it was
(28:39):
moms and dads or husbands or wives or children. Look,
it's just, you know, just so sad, so sad, and
so unnecessary.
Speaker 12 (28:50):
Dan, I have a fear of flying. What about it?
Turbulence and lightning.
Speaker 2 (28:56):
Whenever you're up in a plane, Joe and you get
a little lightning or turbulence, I feel the same way.
It's like I'm ready to grab the rosary beads. You
know what I'm saying.
Speaker 12 (29:04):
I haven't been on a plane since two thousand and five.
Speaker 2 (29:08):
Well, you haven't missed anything, because they haven't got any
more comfortable since two thousand and five. The seats haven't
gotten any bigger, the food hasn't gotten any better. Trust
me on that. Okay, so you're a spot man in
that regard.
Speaker 12 (29:23):
Thanks for taking my calls in God.
Speaker 2 (29:25):
Calling in Joe. We'll talk soon, okay, Thanks, Happy New Year.
Speaker 12 (29:29):
Thank to you, right back at you, all right, Thanks.
Speaker 2 (29:31):
Good night, take a break. I got one line open.
I'm gonna do my best to get Phil Barry Nonah
Nonah in Hudson, New Hampshire, and Donnie in and if
you want to take one, the only one line I
got is for you. Six one, seven, two, five, four,
ten thirty. We're going to change topics at eleven o'clock.
We have a guest schedule. I think you're going to
(29:53):
enjoy the topic. We're going to talk about people who
are addicted to social media and the internet what can
be done to allow them to shake that addiction. Back
on Nightside after.
Speaker 1 (30:05):
This, Now back to Dan ray Mine from the Window
World Nightside Studios on w b Z News Radio.
Speaker 2 (30:14):
There we go, let's keep. We're going to get everybody
in somehow someway. We'll see. Let's go to Nonah. No, Noah,
it's Nonah. I hope with an n in Hudson, New Hampshire.
Speaker 5 (30:24):
Yes, the know the reason I can't pl my satellite
radio game.
Speaker 2 (30:28):
Well, thank you very much. I'm hoping I'm saving you
some money.
Speaker 5 (30:31):
Nonah, welcome because I'm addicted to your show. God bless
you for dealing with them a lot of stuff.
Speaker 2 (30:39):
Thank you, thank you very much, And Bob.
Speaker 5 (30:42):
Bless all those families that were affected last night. And yes,
the FAA is definitely under theft. And you know, I
don't want to blame like the pilot, like the military guy,
because maybe he freaked out. Should he have been at
(31:03):
the same altitude, but should be fa the air Traffic
Control has said follow him in. Probably not. Oh, we
don't really know until like we know.
Speaker 2 (31:17):
Yeah, let's get let's get all the evidence. And I
think the President got a little ahead of himself today
to be honest with you.
Speaker 13 (31:22):
But let's I think so true. I think so true
because I went in too work late today because I
was glued to the TV. Because you know, I just
I just pray for all of.
Speaker 5 (31:35):
Those families that were affected. And once we know them,
we know, we can't we can't jump to conclusions, right,
we can't. We can't judge anybody. But maybe that pilot
maybe he freaked out, Like maybe he just at the
last minute freaked.
Speaker 2 (31:54):
Yeah, I know, you know, you can have iviusly people
gonna have a nervous breakdown. But I bet that I
think he was just flying and he was. He was.
He was at three hundred and fifty feet. They're supposed
to have separation. He was supposed to be no higher
than two hundred feet and yep, I don't know if
they find out that his altimeter was broken or whatever,
(32:17):
I don't know. Let's I agree with you. Let's let's
find out what the truth is and then we can
we can talk. But tonight, I think it's a night
to remember those were lost and to also pray for
their family members that they can find peace.
Speaker 5 (32:32):
You know, those families, those kids, those moms, like.
Speaker 2 (32:37):
You know, is this your first time calling?
Speaker 5 (32:43):
No, this is my third. Well you told me like
the first time I called it, that I have to
cancel the light radio because I'm your show.
Speaker 2 (32:51):
Well you keep canceling and remember, if anybody tries to
charge you for Nightside, you call me directly.
Speaker 5 (32:56):
Okay, God I love your show, and like I said,
God bless you, because I hear some of your calls
and sometimes I'm like, oh my god, I don't know
how we how we I don't know how you get through.
Speaker 2 (33:08):
It, not at all. I love everybody who calls, whether
they agree to disagree. Without them, I don't have a show.
So that's the way I look at it.
Speaker 5 (33:16):
God bless you, Right back at you, New Year find
out so happy New Year.
Speaker 2 (33:23):
I can't say that once we're over January, so I
only got one one night I can say that. That's
my rule of thumb. In February, it's no more happy
New Year's. Thanks knowing to talk to you later. Bye,
thank you you too. Good night, fill in Boston, fill
your next one nights. I go right ahead. Good.
Speaker 14 (33:39):
I wasn't gonna call you for just the same reason
you would. You mentioned earlier the seriousness of the failing
of any But did you mentioned someone mentioned unions and
didn't they strike back in the early seventies and expisidentally,
I thought someone else grabbed my tail here. The Ragan
Airport was named death the Reagan and he's the one
(34:01):
that fired.
Speaker 2 (34:02):
All yeah he did, yeah, no, he said this was
this was nineteen eighty one, I think or eighty two,
and yeah, Reagan, Reagan, did you know air traffic controllers.
I'm not supposed to strike. There's a whole bunch of
reasons why you have a tremendous impact economy.
Speaker 14 (34:19):
Everybody Philly quickly, and it was Philly kind of good. No,
I mean luckily, we ran pretty good.
Speaker 4 (34:26):
I don't want to well, I.
Speaker 2 (34:27):
Would think anyone that that anyone that got hired to
be an air traffic controller, let us say in nineteen
eighty two, they're now working for forty two years there,
long since retired.
Speaker 14 (34:37):
That's what I'm saying. So what do we have now?
Now we've got the jew whatever, call a JV team
whatever it is. I'm just kidding.
Speaker 2 (34:46):
Let's let's let's see what happens. I don't want to
prejudge it.
Speaker 14 (34:49):
No, I know, I know. I'm just saying. I know,
but I you know, but you think one more time,
for you think, isn't that airport closed us through the
all the what white house in the pen that you
mentioned Pentagon isn't really close to what the yes, all
the big shots goals. We think that airport would have
been run.
Speaker 3 (35:09):
By the best of the best.
Speaker 14 (35:10):
You know, I'm guessing I.
Speaker 2 (35:13):
Agree with you. I totally agree with you, man, I
really do. I Phil, I got three more. I'm going
to try to say none of them. We're going to
get much time, but we'll give it a shot.
Speaker 3 (35:21):
Okay, thank you very much, sir.
Speaker 2 (35:23):
I feel appreciate it very much. Okay, I'm going to
try to buzz through you quickly, but we're changing topics.
At eleven o'clock. Barry and Norwa, Barry, you got you
got the micro red ahead.
Speaker 9 (35:33):
My Dan, it's books to a Barry. I want to
bring up there's there's a TV series called The Air
Crash Investigation or Air Emergency or may Day. It's in
three different countries. It's been on for twenty four seasons,
and they each episode they investigate a crash. Okay, and
I want to say that if to respect the salute
(35:55):
the people who investigate, the men and women who are
the professional, it's very professional. They find out the cause
of each accident and for that, from that they make
more safety. Safety there's a lesson to be learned. If
there's a silver lining, there's going to be some safety
(36:15):
lesson that's learned. And the professional people who conduct these
investigations are the best of the best.
Speaker 2 (36:23):
That's the National Transport I assume you're talking about the
National Transportation Safety Board.
Speaker 9 (36:29):
Yes, person and the other two investigate from Boeing and
from the their associated agencies, and they they're very, very
very good at what they do, and they find out
what's wrong, and they've helped to fix it, and they
won't happen again. Whatever happens.
Speaker 2 (36:48):
Let us hope not Berry. Thank you much. I owe
you a visit at the bookstore on top. We'll meet someday,
I promise.
Speaker 9 (36:53):
Okay, thank you, Dan, I have a good day, and
thank you for being my friend.
Speaker 2 (36:57):
Let me go to Donnie and Walpole. Donnie got room
for you and Ed and marshiall go right ahead, Donnie.
Speaker 8 (37:02):
Dan, I just want to comment on the plane that
back in the afi A flight.
Speaker 12 (37:13):
It was the ice.
Speaker 8 (37:16):
And then it sat on the taxiway.
Speaker 2 (37:20):
In a problem. It had a problem with ice. You correct,
it sat on the taxi and they learned from that,
and now when you're when you're on a plane, they'll
de ice the plane three or four times until you
get off the gate. They won't let it rebuild. And
that's what happened exactly. And the plane was too heavy,
it got off the ground a little bit and then
it crashed right into that bridge.
Speaker 4 (37:39):
Yeah.
Speaker 8 (37:39):
And I can remember the island's name being Larry and
they said they weren't going to naked and they didn't.
Speaker 2 (37:46):
Yeah. And there was a guy who actually jumped in
the river. I think his name was Lenny slot Neck.
And I think Reagan recognized him at a State of
the Union address as being really an unsung American hero.
He saved people that day that he survived, that memory
of it.
Speaker 8 (38:05):
He handed the rope to someone else, and he waited
insurn yes, in his.
Speaker 2 (38:11):
His civilian clothes, his cold January day. Donnie, I gotta
get one more and call more often and call earlier
because I want to talk with you longer.
Speaker 6 (38:19):
Okay, all right, that's good, Dan Grade, evening.
Speaker 2 (38:22):
You too, Donnie Ed. You're the last of the hour
I got you in Yougrett ahead. Oh then, Happy New Year,
sad night, sad night.
Speaker 4 (38:33):
You know what to uh at Logan for over thirty years,
and I see the trouble over the years is just
a congestion. Logan's gone from you know, being wide open
space and plenty of room for planes to it's you're
(38:55):
going to see all these planes getting clipped. That's just
going to be on the news all the time. But
that's not a big safety concern. But what I see
in Washington.
Speaker 2 (39:05):
I got about thirty seconds left here, ED, So you
got to be quitful.
Speaker 4 (39:10):
It's too congestion, too much congestion, and that's a big problem.
And why are we doing a training mission in a
congested air space? You know, you can do a training mission.
It could be way way in inland.
Speaker 2 (39:26):
You know, up by Dallas Airport. They got plenty of
room up by Dallas, west of the city.
Speaker 4 (39:32):
ED.
Speaker 2 (39:32):
I'm flat out of time. I can only ask you
to call again, and to call a little earlier, and
we can have a longer conversation, particularly knowing your experience. Okay,
oh take care. Yeah, thanks, I appreciate it. When we
come back on to talk about addicted to the Internet.
It's not a good thing as a serious problem. And
looking forward to talking with you
Popular Podcasts
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com
24/7 News: The Latest
The latest news in 4 minutes updated every hour, every day.
Therapy Gecko
An unlicensed lizard psychologist travels the universe talking to strangers about absolutely nothing. TO CALL THE GECKO: follow me on https://www.twitch.tv/lyleforever to get a notification for when I am taking calls. I am usually live Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays but lately a lot of other times too. I am a gecko.