Brother of DC Plane Crash Victim Calls for Pentagon Probe

Devastating Loss and Family Impact

• 💔 Matt Collins shares the profound grief of losing his only brother, Chris Collins, who was 42 and returning from a business trip.
• 😔 The loss has been incredibly tough on the entire family, including Chris's 39-year-old widow and his 13-year-old son.
• 👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Matt describes the daily pain of seeing his parents cope with burying their child, an experience he calls "unconscionable pain."

Key Findings from NTSB Hearings

• ✈️ A 2022 FAA workshop group's recommendation to move helicopters away from Reagan National Airport was struck down due to political reasons, which Matt finds unacceptable for safety.
• ⚠️ The systems involved in the crash appear to remain the same six months later, with no changes implemented by the Army regarding safety processes.
• 📏 The Blackhawk helicopter was reportedly flying above the maximum altitude limit, and there were issues with altimeters and equipment that provided skewed readings.
• ❓ The ±100 ft tolerance for altitude readings is concerning when the route only has 75 ft of clearance, raising questions about safety margins.

Calls for Accountability and Investigation

• 📢 Matt Collins is urging federal officials to "Do something. Be better" in light of the safety failures.
• 🏛️ He specifically calls for an Inspector General report on the Department of Defense (DoD) to be a primary outcome of the ongoing hearings.
• 🔍 The FAA's failure to identify 85 near misses around Reagan airport and army helicopters routinely flying with critical locating equipment turned off highlights systemic issues.

Remembering Chris Collins

• 🌲 Chris Collins is remembered as an avid outdoorsman who loved hiking, fishing, and camping.
• 🏙️ He was also a city guy, living in Manhattan and working as a vice president at Moody's Investment Services.
• 💔 A planned trip for his wife's 40th birthday this August will sadly never happen.
• 🏈 He was a huge New England Patriots fan, sharing this passion with his son, who misses their fishing trips and talks about the team.