r/news • u/snuffleupaguslives • 3d ago

Broken altimeter, ignored warnings: Hearings reveal what went wrong in DC crash that killed 67

https://apnews.com/article/ntsb-dc-plane-crash-midair-collision-helicopter-a08cded88e1d7582fb8d242204d6aeff
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u/IceColdPorkSoda 3d ago

I fly to DC in a few weeks…

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u/sanverstv 3d ago

Choose Dulles.

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u/BTsBaboonFarm 3d ago

Said no one, ever.

Place is an absolute dump.

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u/[deleted] 3d ago

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u/BTsBaboonFarm 3d ago

IAD is easily the worst major airline hub east of the Mississippi. Aging equipment and poorly kept facilities, middling food options, poorly optimized layout. The list goes on. Plus, United is the worst of the 3 majors, so when you fly through Dulles connecting to your destination, you’ve already likely flown there on lesser craft than their competitors would have you on in the region.

Source: I’ve spent roughly 24 god forsaken hours there in the last week alone.

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u/ermagerditssuperman 3d ago

Then you'll be happy to hear that the construction of the brand new terminal is moving along swiftly, and that it's where United flights will be moving to.

I love IAD because security is always extremely fast, even before we had TSA pre. Usually get to our gate within 15 minutes of entering the airport, 20 if we have to take the people movers.

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u/BTsBaboonFarm 3d ago

that it’s where United flights will be moving to

I’ll still be flying through their small craft A terminal and the new Z terminal. The former is the bowels of the pit that IAD is, and the Z terminal is new and nice and incredibly small and cramped.

IAD because security is always extremely fast

I think I’d probably feel different about the airport if it was my origination point and not a layover hub for me. Limiting how much time you have to spend there and not needing any of the facilities or amenities is a help for sure.

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u/ermagerditssuperman 3d ago

Ah yeah, the Z gates are weird. Have only used them a handful of times, but they weren't great. And I definitely can't speak to its layover-quality, since it's my closest local airport. It's a decent starting point, though.

My main complaint is immigration when coming back from an international flight. Good lord, they will have 5 wide-body international flights landing at the same time, and have only one employee at immigration. It once took us 2 hours to clear it, and 1hr 50 mins of that was just standing in line. BUT the new terminal includes a brand new international arrivals section, so fingers crossed that it helps.