Near-misses at Washington airport worried pilots well before fatal crash

U.S. commercial pilot Rick Redfern was preparing to land at Reagan Washington National Airport about a decade ago when he spotted a bright red Coast Guard helicopter hovering about 50 feet (15 m) above the Potomac River. Air traffic control promptly warned the helicopter pilot to stay clear, and Redfern said he used evasive maneuvers to avoid it and avert a potential disaster - and that was in daytime, when visibility was clearer. At night "the light can disorient you as to what you might think you are seeing as to what you actually are seeing," Redfern said. A collision on Wednesday night between a Black Hawk military helicopter and an American Airlines subsidiary's CRJ700 regional jet, which killed 67 people, has stirred haunting memories for Redfern and other pilots who have faced challenges landing at the Washington airport. Planes approaching the airport must navigate a precise and narrow flight path to avoid restricted airspace around the nearby White House and Pentagon. "That turn from the eastern side along the river to turn into runway 33 is very, very tight," said Redfern, referring to the same airstrip the American Airlines jet was heading towards before colliding with the U.S. military helicopter. It is unclear what caused the crash, which is now under investigation by the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board and the U.S. Army. Air crashes typically result from multiple factors.<br/>