DC Airliner Collision Last Wednesday

 YouTube was kind enough to lead these three videos my way.

In order of arrival:

Last night:

From the blancolirio:

DC Mid Air Update 2/3/25

4 days ago:

Former Air Traffic Controller gives perspective of deadly plane collision | Full interview

3 days ago

Military Helo Pilot Gives Possible Cause for DCA Midair

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More:

Today from an air traffic control perspective. Basically, the separation rules were not in force because ATC gave the helicopter visual separation permission. This also disputes the official 325 foot collision altitude.

What Caused This? A Deal Was Made.

Update 2/5:

I just posted this comment on one of the YouTube videos. I am slowly coming around to this perspective:

Total amateur here, no pilot experience, but two things I seem to be seeing here. One, the altitude of the collision seems to be based on the altimeter reading of the CRJ, the airliner. Nobody is questioning that reading or in any way suggesting that it might not be accurate. And two, every analysis that I have watched states without any question that nobody in the helicopter saw the airliner coming. What if both of those assumptions are wrong? What if the airliner was coming in below the glideslope because their altimeter was reading high and were flying low and level to catch up with the glideslope? What if the helicopter saw them low and assumed they were further descending and tried to rise above them, but the airliner didn't descend as expected? What if their permission to visually avoid the airliner, given twice by ATC, actually allowed them to do that to avoid a collision? All of the evidence leads to this scenario. But nobody analyzing this can visualize it. Question is, what is the probability that the airliner's altimeter was spot on accurate? Or if it was, what if the pilot of the airliner had a custom of making this approach this way, coming in below the glideslope, leveling out until they near the runway, then descending? Could that unintentionally fake out the helicopter pilots? I mean if you are flying this helicopter and you see this airliner coming in low and you assume it is descending, considering that the river is only 200 feet below you, would you go down beneath them or would you go up over them? The helicopter went up first, then veered right and descended if the available data is correct. It was attempting to avoid the collision.

Just one man's opinion. I could be wrong.