Posts about: "Separation (ALL)" [Posts: 442 Page: 8 of 23]ΒΆ

B2N2
February 02, 2025, 01:50:00 GMT
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Post: 11819439
You don\x92t put a descending aircraft in the path of a level aircraft with 100-150\x92 vertical separation.
That is insane.
The CRJ likely wasn\x92t flying VNAV vertical guidance as it\x92s an LNAV only MDA for 33 and they were coming out of a left base to final turn flying visually on a 3 degree PAPI.
Which means they\x92re hand flying and no one can guarantee they won\x92t be slightly slow to slightly fast or slightly high or slightly low.
\x93Three red on the PAPI correcting\x94
0.01 on the altimeter is 25\x92, that\x92s already 10%
Plus inherent altimeter inaccuracy,
For a shorter taxi or one departure.
Its madness.

Subjects CRJ  Separation (ALL)  Vertical Separation

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YRP
February 02, 2025, 01:59:00 GMT
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Post: 11819443
Originally Posted by arc698
A red collision alert was flashing at this point on the controllers screen, the instruction should\x92ve been for the CRJ to go around, not wasting time on the helicopter pilots.

Secondly, why shouldn\x92t we criticise the controller? Imho his actions need to be criticised. Not the individual but the environment, procedures and training he operated in. The mission of ATC is to prevent exactly this from happening and they failed in their mission.
It is Conflict Alert not Collision Alert. It notifies the controller that two targets might get close, in case they weren\x92t aware.

It would happen all the time with visual separation. It\x92s nothing like the RA must-follow-without-question alert. Issuing a go around would often be the exact wrong thing to do.

In this case the controller was aware they were close.

The accepted procedures look like quite likely the culprit here. They seem to allow a single mistake (misidentifying visual traffic) to become catastrophic.

The controller\x85 he\x92s required to use the accepted procedures. If the procedure after safety analysis is to allow helicopters to visually separate from jets, he can\x92t just say not on his shift. He can double check of course, and imho that\x92s what his \x93still got \x91em in sight\x94 call was about, since it clearly concerned him.

Anyway my point about not criticizing him was just that my post was not intended that way. I don\x92t have access to listen to the full conversation. If you do, then go ahead.

And certainly the environment/procedures/etc are all in question here.

Subjects ATC  CRJ  Separation (ALL)  Visual Separation

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Lake1952
February 02, 2025, 02:28:00 GMT
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Post: 11819459
Dozens of posts back, I asked the question that many recent posts have been keying on... if everyone was where they were supposed to be, they would have passed one over the other with 150 feet of separation! In what world is that OK?

Subjects Separation (ALL)

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gretzky99
February 02, 2025, 03:00:00 GMT
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Post: 11819475
Originally Posted by dr dre
There does seem to be a bit of a \x93we do things differently over here because we\x92re (quote/unquote) better pilots\x94 attitude. Maybe this will be a wake up call, but given the reluctance to change culture I doubt it.
I agree completely.

It almost seems backwards to me. Late runway changes should only be applied in quiet environments, allowing plenty of room for manoeuvring without separation issues. The same for visual separation, where only one or two aircraft in the area make misidentification of traffic an improbability. Unfortunately the reverse is true. The busier and more congested the airspace, the more likely these procedures are to be used. From a risk identification and management perspective, I just don't see how operating like this can ever have been deemed acceptable.

Again though, it's used because it's the only way to squeeze an extra 1% out of an over burdened system. And worst of all, everyone involved, from pilots to ATC, think they're the worlds best for making it "work".

Last edited by gretzky99; 2nd February 2025 at 03:24 .

Subjects ATC  Separation (ALL)  Visual Separation

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Denflnt
February 02, 2025, 03:02:00 GMT
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Post: 11819477
Originally Posted by PuraVidaTransport
If the Army pilots mistook another aircraft for the CRJ they were warned of at least three times, can someone look at the radar and explain which aircraft they thought was the CRJ? I see none they could have possible been watching instead. Considering the distance from one warning to the next and the Army pilot's assurance of seeing the CRJ both times, I don't see how any light on the ground could have been their focus either.
OK, let's go down that route, as dumb as it is. How many times was the CRJ warned of traffic? I don't recall hearing them being alerted at all, though on short final, low and configured for landing there wasn't much they could do at that point. It is ATC's job to ensure separation for controlled aircraft. If ATC relied solely on the helo to keep from hitting the CRJ, that is a big effing problem.

Subjects ATC  CRJ  Radar  Separation (ALL)

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galaxy flyer
February 02, 2025, 03:04:00 GMT
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Post: 11819478
Originally Posted by Denflnt
The helo was always always flying VFR. ATC's job was protecting the CRJ.
In Class B, all aircraft are separated, it might visual, it ATC is required to provide separation, IFR or VFR traffic. This standard goes back to the original TCA in 1972.

Subjects ATC  CRJ  IFR  Separation (ALL)  VFR

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galaxy flyer
February 02, 2025, 03:16:00 GMT
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Post: 11819484
Originally Posted by gretzky99
I agree completely.

It almost seems backwards to me. Late runway changes should only be applied in quiet environments, allowing plenty of room for manoeuvring without separation issues. The same for visual separation, where only one or two aircraft in the area make misidentification of traffic an improbability. Unfortunately the reverse is true. The busier and more congested the airspace, the more likely these procedures are to be used. From a risk identification and management perspective, I just don't see how operating like this can ever have been deemed acceptable.

Again though, it's used because it's the only way to squeeze an extra 1% out of an over burdened system. And worse of all, everyone involved, from pilots to ATC, think they're the worlds best for making it "work".
I\x92m not in job of defending the US system, but there needs to be some perspective. The US airspace operates about 40%-50% of all global aviation. Only half of daily flights are air carrier. For lot of reasons outside this discussion, air carriers are the default transport, trains and buses are a tiny fraction of long distance transport. Apply EASA aviation standards and the US network would grind to halt or create huge gaps in service. We\x92ve gone 16 years without a fatal US carrier major accident, which isn\x92t different than the rest of the world, especially when the US has a 50% share. Our economy would suffer greatly and passengers revolt at what would required.

All that said, the plan for DCA, particularly the helicopter ops, were hazardous in the extreme. The Route 4/33 operations is just plain dangerous, nothing less. The politics of DCA are going to drive a band-aid fix is my prediction. Visual separation won\x92t go away. FAA will get crucified over manning. DCA may lose some significant service, if we closed 33 permanently. If I read the NOTAM correctly, closing 4 and 33, the pain will become known, interestingly, I read elsewhere that the helicopter altitudes were raised to 200\x92 in 2023 due to noise complaints.

Subjects ATC  DCA  FAA  Separation (ALL)  Visual Separation

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fdr
February 02, 2025, 03:18:00 GMT
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Post: 11819485
Originally Posted by Lake1952
Dozens of posts back, I asked the question that many recent posts have been keying on... if everyone was where they were supposed to be, they would have passed one over the other with 150 feet of separation! In what world is that OK?

FAA Order JO 7110.65AA - Air Traffic Control

7.9.4 SEPARATION
a. Standard IFR services to IFR aircraft.
b. VFR aircraft must be separated from VFR/IFR aircraft/ helicopter/rotorcraft that weigh more than 19,000 pounds and turbojets by no less than:
1. 1 \xbd miles separation, or
2. 500 feet vertical separation, or
3. Visual separation, as specified in paragraph  7-2-1 , Visual Separation, paragraph  7-4-2 , Vectors for Visual Approach, and paragraph 7-6-7 , Sequencing.

7.2.1 VISUAL SEPARATION
a.2. Pilot-applied visual separation.
(a) Maintain communication with at least one of the aircraft involved and ensure there is an ability to communicate with the other aircraft.
(b) The pilot sees another aircraft and is instructed to maintain visual separation from the aircraft as follows
(1) Tell the pilot about the other aircraft. Include position, direction, type, and, unless it is obvious, the other aircraft's intention.
(2) Obtain acknowledgment from the pilot that the other aircraft is in sight.
(3) Instruct the pilot to maintain visual separation from that aircraft.


Subjects FAA  IFR  Separation (ALL)  VFR  Vertical Separation  Visual Separation

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Lead Balloon
February 02, 2025, 03:23:00 GMT
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Post: 11819488
Originally Posted by photonclock
Of course. So lets assume the readings to be at the outside of the envelope to the benefit of both aircraft, ie, CRJ at 350 (325 +/- 25 as stated by NTSB), and 200 +/- 75 for the helicopter, so 125. That's 225 feet of vertical-only separation. Is that considered acceptable? If not, why did ATC allow it?
ATC didn't "allow it".

The procedures allowed the controller to hand responsibility for separation to the helo pilot, once the helo was instructed to pass behind an aircraft which the helo said it had identified (twice I think?). However, it seems that the helo identified the wrong aircraft. That's hardly surprising when it's night, there's lots of stationary and moving lights around, and one of the apparently stationary lights is in fact bolted to an aircraft with which you're on a collision course.

Subjects ATC  CRJ  NTSB  Pass Behind  Pass Behind (All)  Separation (ALL)

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aox
February 02, 2025, 03:31:00 GMT
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Post: 11819492
Originally Posted by dr dre
I was reading the reaction of some posters, almost certainly Americans, to the Lufthansa SFO incident where they refused a visual approach, on the thread for that incident on this forum and some other aviation forums:

You really cannot expect to operate into a busy US airport with that sort of restriction.

Lufthansa and all their daughter airlines still uses SOPs born in the 60s, it's godawful.

This whole thing is just ignorant on the part of LH. The SFO ATC is busy and can\x92t baby these unnecessary special requests

I get the no visual approaches at night policy but the no visual separation from other aircraft at night is asinine. Keeping visual from other a/c is easier at night cause of all the blinky stuff.

The answer is if Lufthansa are unable to comply with local procedures then SFO should initiate an approach ban on operators who cannot comply or withdraw their operating permit.



There does seem to be a bit of a \x93we do things differently over here because we\x92re (quote/unquote) better pilots\x94 attitude. Maybe this will be a wake up call, but given the reluctance to change culture I doubt it.
Spotting the blinky stuff ahead is one thing, especially all going in the same direction on approach

However this incident is crossing or converging traffic

People outside aviation, such as Donald Trump as quoted, don't understand that the helicopter is not looking straight ahead at the airliner in the centre of its view for several seconds. Other people think that the other moving across the field of view should make it easier to notice.

But neither is true. One possibility that represents a collision risk is the one a bit out to one side that keeps the same relative direction in the view of the other, just getting bigger

From pictures I found, this helicopter type seems to have four vertical bars in the frame of the front screen, two at the edges, two nearer the middle. So it might be possible for a collision risk aircraft to be hidden behind one of these for some time


​​​​​​

Subjects ATC  President Donald Trump  Separation (ALL)  Visual Separation

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island_airphoto
February 02, 2025, 03:33:00 GMT
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Post: 11819493
Originally Posted by galaxy flyer
I’m not in job of defending the US system, but there needs to be some perspective. The US airspace operates about 40%-50% of all global aviation. Only half of daily flights are air carrier. For lot of reasons outside this discussion, air carriers are the default transport, trains and buses are a tiny fraction of long distance transport. Apply EASA aviation standards and the US network would grind to halt or create huge gaps in service. We’ve gone 16 years without a fatal US carrier major accident, which isn’t different than the rest of the world, especially when the US has a 50% share. Our economy would suffer greatly and passengers revolt at what would required.

All that said, the plan for DCA, particularly the helicopter ops, were hazardous in the extreme. The Route 4/33 operations is just plain dangerous, nothing less. The politics of DCA are going to drive a band-aid fix is my prediction. Visual separation won’t go away. FAA will get crucified over manning. DCA may lose some significant service, if we closed 33 permanently. If I read the NOTAM correctly, closing 4 and 33, the pain will become known, interestingly, I read elsewhere that the helicopter altitudes were raised to 200’ in 2023 due to noise complaints.
The area is extraordinarily sensitive to noise complaints. I muffed a landing at KVKX just a few miles away after the takeoff curfew and someone called the cops on me for going around and I got a bit annoyed with them and told them they weren't the air police.
And yes, trying to do EU IFR for everything all the time would create some epic traffic jams.
* IMHO they need the dedicated helicopter controller on at ALL times the helicopters are flying and they need to be held for crossing traffic. They also all need ADS-B, no private pilot that wasn't totally skint would be running around with the lack of situational awareness the helos seem to have in an area like that.

Subjects ADSB (All)  ATC  DCA  FAA  IFR  Separation (ALL)  Situational Awareness  Visual Separation

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photonclock
February 02, 2025, 05:47:00 GMT
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Post: 11819528
Originally Posted by Lead Balloon
ATC didn't "allow it".
The procedures allowed the controller to hand responsibility for separation to the helo pilot,
Well, that's interesting. You seem to be saying that "the system" worked as designed? FDR notes immediately before your reply:

Originally Posted by fdr
7.2.1 VISUAL SEPARATION
a.2. Pilot-applied visual separation.
(a) Maintain communication with at least one of the aircraft involved and ensure there is an ability to communicate with the other aircraft.
(b) The pilot sees another aircraft and is instructed to maintain visual separation from the aircraft as follows
(1) Tell the pilot about the other aircraft. Include position, direction, type, and, unless it is obvious, the other aircraft's intention.
(2) Obtain acknowledgment from the pilot that the other aircraft is in sight.
(3) Instruct the pilot to maintain visual separation from that aircraft.
Did ATC do all of that? Having listened to the ATC comms (including the UHF) a few times, I believe they did, for the most part? They mentioned CRJ (of what use is mentioning the type at night, I have no idea, but they did), they mentioned where it was and where it was headed, and they received two acknowledgments...

So that means this collision occurred entirely within all established protocls?

These aircraft crashed, as per the system specifications.

So the system is, to put it plainly...FUBAR?

That's not good.

Subjects ATC  CRJ  Separation (ALL)  Visual Separation

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Bratchewurst
February 02, 2025, 05:50:00 GMT
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Post: 11819530
Originally Posted by Denflnt
The CRJ was diverted to 33 because of traffic. No other reason. The pattern was congested, so ATC diverted them to relieve those issues for them at the time. The CRJ could have declined the ATC's request, but they would have had to circle for another approach to R1.
You\x92re assuming facts not in evidence. It\x92s possible the LC wanted to create more separation between the CRJ and traffic departing on 01, but I was responding to another explanation, apparently one given by someone who regularly flies RJs into DCA.

That\x92s the kind of information that the NTSB will discover from interviews.




Subjects ATC  CRJ  DCA  NTSB  Separation (ALL)

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Lead Balloon
February 02, 2025, 06:03:00 GMT
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Post: 11819532
Originally Posted by photonclock
Well, that's interesting. You seem to be saying that "the system" worked as designed? FDR notes immediately before your reply:



Did ATC do all of that? Having listened to the ATC comms (including the UHF) a few times, I believe they did, for the most part? They mentioned CRJ (of what use is mentioning the type at night, I have no idea, but they did), they mentioned where it was and where it was headed, and they received two acknowledgments...

So that means this collision occurred entirely within all established protocls?

These aircraft crashed, as per the system specifications.

So the system is, to put it plainly...FUBAR?

That's not good.


I agree. I expressed my inexpert opinion earlier:

The procedures effectively abdicate separation responsibility to a single point of failure, where failure is not unlikely and, as a consequence of the airspace design, failure results in high probabilities of collision.

The difficulties of identifying a specific aircraft, at night, in a background of stationary and moving lights, when moving objects on a collision course will always appear stationary to each other, are well known, as are the probabilities of mis-identification. The airspace design 'squeezes' inbound aircraft and transiting helicopters to practicality the same altitude, when instrument and other tolerances are taken into consideration.

Subjects ATC  CRJ  Separation (ALL)

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cbradio
February 02, 2025, 06:15:00 GMT
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Post: 11819534
Originally Posted by Denflnt
Miniimum vertical separation is 500'. The helo would have had to be a submarine to maintain separation. The helo should have been told to hold short, and wait for crossing traffic. That is what ATC is supposed to do, maintain separation from controlled aircraft.
ATC did do what he is "supposed" to do. The Blackhawk was told to "pass behind". Nothing to do with vertical separation. It's a form of separation. That's how it works. Thousands of times every day, all over the place.

As a system ' - at night - I think it's crazy. But that's the system.

Subjects ATC  Blackhawk (H-60)  Pass Behind  Pass Behind (All)  Separation (ALL)  Vertical Separation

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BuzzBox
February 02, 2025, 06:20:00 GMT
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Post: 11819535
Originally Posted by Lead Balloon
The procedures effectively abdicate separation responsibility to a single point of failure, where failure is not unlikely and, as a consequence of the airspace design, failure results in high probabilities of collision.

The difficulties of identifying a specific aircraft, at night, in a background of stationary and moving lights, when moving objects on a collision course will always appear stationary to each other, are well known, as are the probabilities of mis-identification. The airspace design 'squeezes' inbound aircraft and transiting helicopters to practicality the same altitude, when instrument and other tolerances are taken into consideration.
Absolutely, and it will be very interesting to see what the NTSB has to say about the "rules" and if the FAA does anything to change those rules. Pilot-applied visual separation is common at airports all over the US, day and night. Frankly, it was only a matter of time before a tragedy occurred, for the reasons you mentioned.

Subjects FAA  NTSB  Separation (ALL)  Visual Separation

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DaveReidUK
February 02, 2025, 07:39:00 GMT
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Post: 11819561
Originally Posted by cbradio
ATC did do what he is "supposed" to do. The Blackhawk was told to "pass behind". Nothing to do with vertical separation. It's a form of separation. That's how it works. Thousands of times every day, all over the place.

As a system ' - at night - I think it's crazy. But that's the system.
To be fair to posters, the preceding 650-odd posts have contained a disturbing number harping on about "vertical separation" - and the media haven't helped, either.

Subjects ATC  Blackhawk (H-60)  Pass Behind  Pass Behind (All)  Separation (ALL)  Vertical Separation

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ATC Watcher
February 02, 2025, 09:27:00 GMT
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Post: 11819621
Originally Posted by galaxy flyer
. Apply EASA aviation standards and the US network would grind to halt or create huge gaps in service......... Our economy would suffer greatly and passengers revolt at what would required.
.
and from island air photo :
And yes, trying to do EU IFR for everything all the time would create some epic traffic jams
Spot on, but there is no EU or EASA IFR there are IFR rules and agreed global aviation standards ,Period What is ( or should I say was ) done in DC , or in SFO or with LAHSO, etc are all deviations to allow more traffic outside of the rules. Expedition taking over our good old "safety first" mantra .

Now , is delegating visual separation to an Helicopter ,at night ,( with pilots wearing NGV ) on an aircraft cleared off the ILS doing a circle visual NPA at 500 ft with 4 eyes most probably locked on the PAPI something safe ? with a 150- Ft margin of error designed on the chart ? But it is how the system was built and local controllers trained on doing this , since years. Normalization of Deviance.

I wish good luck to the NTSB and the FAA is trying to reverse this .

Subjects FAA  IFR  Land and Hold Short  NTSB  Separation (ALL)  Visual Separation

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Easy Street
February 02, 2025, 10:30:00 GMT
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Post: 11819666
Originally Posted by galaxy flyer
Apply EASA aviation standards and the US network would grind to halt or create huge gaps in service ... Our economy would suffer greatly and passengers revolt at what would required.

... The politics of DCA are going to drive a band-aid fix is my prediction. Visual separation won\x92t go away. FAA will get crucified over manning. DCA may lose some significant service, if we closed 33 permanently.
I think your predictions are good ones. Underlying them is the idea that while the extra airspace capacity afforded by visual separation at night may come at the price of occasional accidents such as this, that price is worth paying for passenger, government and economic benefit. Those kind of ideas don't tend to be well received or understoood by the public, or by extension by elected representatives, so a prediction of my own: every single agency and authority involved will go out of its way to avoid acknowledging that idea, and instead will pretend that visual separation at night is a fundamentally sound practice let down by poor procedure design and/or ATC at DCA.

[I think of the Austin investigation, which did not even mention, let alone question the practice of issuing runway clearances to multiple aircraft at the same time, which IMHO is the root cause of most of the recent near misses.]

Last edited by Easy Street; 2nd February 2025 at 10:50 .

Subjects ATC  Close Calls  DCA  FAA  Separation (ALL)  Visual Separation

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meleagertoo
February 02, 2025, 10:36:00 GMT
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Post: 11819671
Originally Posted by CaptainDrCook
What should have been the vertical separation? I'm just a lowly PPL holder, but I imagine if the CRJ was at 325 feet, even a ceiling of 200 feet is too high for the helicopter.

Not just from a collision perspective, but a wake turbulance issue.

And maybe more importantly, what should have been the horizontal separation? Surely it should have been at least 500 feet after the passing CRJ (not based on air law, just common sense). Clearly there was no horizontal or vertical separation in the end, but just how far off minimums was the helicopter? Seems nearly impossible to be that far off the expected flight path.



Dozens of posts back, I asked the question that many recent posts have been keying on... if everyone was where they were supposed to be, they would have passed one over the other with 150 feet of separation! In what world is that OK?
Heavens above!
Can all these non-aviation pundits here please get it into their heads that just because the helilane has a cieling of 200ft and the glideslope is 325 or whatever it does not imply that helos can, would or might EVER be allowed to pass 125 ft under an aircraft on finals nor would any sane helo pilot (there are some!) do so. That would be insane, as surely this common sense you speak of should tell you? What's a lateral 500ft got to do with air law or anything else, ever? You're muddling completely unconnected and irrelevant matters. Have you not read/heard the ATC transcripts? Helos are not given clearance to and cannot cross until landing traffic is clear (as this helo one was told) - ie until it has passed unless the incoming is sufficiently far away for there to be no possible confliction.
How far off minimums (actually a maximum)? - you've already answered that question yourself. 125ft.
The insanity of this routing procedure is that in the event of an accidental horizontal incursion into the track of an inboud as happened here there is in theory only 125 ft of vertical clearance to prevent a disaster which is nowhere near enough of a safety margin. That route should have been, imho, at least 5-800ft or more above two dots up on the glideslope.

Once again, helicopters never, never ever come to a free air hover for separation purposes - this is a ridiculous concept for numerous reasons that are too long to go into here, and would be downright dangerous at night over a black hole at 200ft. They slow and orbit if they have to, maybe slow right down if wind direction and speed allows, but never hover.

I know not everyone here is experienced on helos but if so could they please refrain from speculating on operating procedures? All this guff about altimeter accuracy is completely irrelevant and has created a huge amount of unnecessaty noise. The aircraft was flying a visual sight-picture approach where an altimeter barely features at all and helos at low level, especially at night and over water do not use the baro altimeter. They exclusively refer to rad-alt.

Finally, all those who think a visual self-positioning clearance as employed in this case behind crossing traffic is somehow hazardous are completely incorrect. Once again, at Heathrow the helilane crosses 27 L and R thresholds at (iirc)1000ft. The only clearances given as you approach the boundary is to the effect of 'cross NOW (directly) over the threshold', 'hold (at a VRP clear N/S of the threshold)' or, having confirmed and read back landing traffic visual and identified the formula is repeated, 'after the landing traffic 2 miles cross behind'. It's perfectly safe as as it isn't done at the same height as the airliner but with a large vertcal clearance too.

btw, does Marine One fly this route?




Last edited by meleagertoo; 2nd February 2025 at 11:41 .

Subjects ATC  CRJ  Hover  Separation (ALL)  Vertical Separation

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