\nI almost dropped my phone when I saw the headline: Hero pilot Captain Sully shares terrifying theory on why DC plane crash happened. If there\u2019s anyone I trust to analyze aviation disasters, it\u2019s Chesley \u201cSully\u201d Sullenberger\u2014the legendary pilot who pulled off the miraculous Hudson River landing in 2009, saving all 155 people on board. This time, Sully is raising serious concerns about the risks of flying over water at night, which he believes may have been a key factor in the recent midair collision near Washington, D.C.\n
Sully suggests that the tragic crash, which claimed 67 lives, may have been partly caused by poor visibility over dark water. He explained that at night, the absence of ground lights reflecting off the surface makes it significantly harder to spot other aircraft.\n
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As he put it, \u201cAll you can see are the lights on them,\u201d making it extremely difficult to judge altitude and distance. While some might argue that air traffic control should have intervened, Sully pointed out that if pilots visually confirm each other\u2019s presence, controllers can momentarily hand over separation responsibilities. Unfortunately, something went catastrophically wrong that night.\n
Captain Sully, famed for his remarkable emergency landing on the Hudson River, has put forward a disturbing theory on what may have led to the devastating plane crash near Washington, D.C. Speaking on Good Morning America, he explained that at least one of the pilots had visual contact but still misjudged the required safe distance.\n
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When those critical safeguards break down, it\u2019s like \u201cdominoes lined up the wrong way,\u201d as Sully described it. With nighttime flights, even the smallest mistake can have deadly consequences. His warning should serve as a wake-up call for airlines and pilots alike, particularly at high-risk airports like Reagan National, where short runways and heavy air traffic make precision essential.\n
Another emerging concern from the tragedy is the reported staffing issues in Reagan National\u2019s control tower. Some sources suggest that the air traffic controller responsible for overseeing helicopters near DCA was also managing takeoffs and landings at the same time.\n
Sully pointed out that Reagan National\u2019s close proximity to other airports\u2014combined with its notoriously short runways\u2014requires pilots to undergo specialized training. When these complexities are compounded by ongoing staffing shortages, the likelihood of a midair disaster only increases.\n