Hudson River
The Hudson River midair accident, like most accidents, had no single cause. But, it has become clear that at least the fixed-wing pilot was not following all the best practices for that airspace.
The new FAA plan announced on the second is a common-sense plan to resolve problems in that airspace. It codifies procedures to make sure people are doing consistent and predictable things, makes that clear on the charts and in regulations, and keeps the airspace open.
Like many pilots who’ve watch the FAA for a while, I’m leery of some of their actions. Like other Washington D.C.-area pilots, I’ve seen the ADIZ (now SFRA) be a travesty of large proportions and was half-way expecting something similar. So I’m delighted to see some good thinking coming out of 700 Independence Ave.
Nothing will ever remove all possibility of accident. Anyone with a regular commute on the highways knows that. But, like traffic on the road, if we’re all behaving predictably and consistently, that goes a long way toward safety from collisions.