I nearly dropped my phone when I saw the headline: Hero pilot Captain Sully shares terrifying theory on why DC plane crash happened. If there’s anyone whose opinion I trust about aviation disasters, it’s Chesley “Sully” Sullenberger—the man who famously landed a passenger jet on the Hudson River back in 2009 and saved 155 lives. This time around, Sully’s concerns center on nighttime flights over water, which he suspects might have played a tragic role in the recent collision near Washington, D.C.

Night Flight Complications

According to Sully, the crash that took 67 lives might have stemmed partly from poor visibility when flying over a dark body of water. He noted that fewer ground lights reflecting off water at night can make spotting other aircraft much tougher. As he explained, “All you can see are the lights on them,” which makes determining relative altitude and distance incredibly challenging. Some might question whether an air traffic controller should have stepped in—but as Sully points out, if the pilots see each other and confirm visual contact, the controller can briefly hand over separation duties to them. Sadly, something went horribly wrong.

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Sully also spoke on Good Morning America, where he reiterated that at least one pilot had visual contact but still lost the required distance for a safe flight path. When those last lines of defense fail, it’s reminiscent of “dominoes lined up the wrong way,” to use Sully’s words. With nighttime flights, any small lapse can become catastrophic. The fact that Hero pilot Captain Sully shares terrifying theory on why DC plane crash happened should make every airline and pilot re-examine their protocols—especially around busy airports like Reagan National, known for short runways and nearby air traffic.

Runway Pressures and Staffing Challenges
One area of concern emerging from the incident is staffing in the control tower at Reagan National Airport. Some reports mention that the controller responsible for guiding helicopters near DCA was also handling departures and arrivals. Sully noted that because DC’s airport is so close to other airfields—and has such short runways—pilots need specialized training to operate there safely. Pair these complexities with chronic understaffing, and it’s easy to see how the scenario for a midair collision could develop.

Hero Pilot Captain Sully Shares Terrifying Theory on Why DC Plane Crash Happened… and Why It Must Be Addressed

Investigators have recovered the black boxes from the submerged wreckage in the Potomac River—offering a glimmer of hope that the final minutes before the crash can be pieced together. A preliminary report already suggests the tower was stretched thin, with the same person talking to both helicopter and plane pilots. Sully’s warning underscores that nighttime flight, water reflections, and possible staffing shortages might have aligned to create the perfect storm. Whenever I recall that Hero pilot Captain Sully shares terrifying theory on why DC plane crash happened, I can’t help but think: if even he’s rattled by these conditions, we should all be paying attention.

Lessons from the Miracle on the Hudson
Sully’s experience is practically legend by now. When his plane lost both engines after a bird strike in 2009, he managed a safe water landing on the Hudson River, miraculously saving everyone onboard. He’s since been a vocal advocate for safety reforms, pilot training, and thorough incident investigations. If the aviation world heeds his warnings about the recent D.C. crash, maybe future disasters can be prevented. But as Sully puts it, “Any lapse could potentially be fatal, even though we have a lot of safety.”