Oakland County Sheriff Bouchard reflects on D.C. tragedy during flight home

At the time of the fatal collision at Reagan National Airport, Oakland County Sheriff Mike Bouchard was in route from Washington, D.C., to Detroit. As the Major County Sheriffs of America named him Sheriff of the Year, Bouchard said his week in D.C. was unforgettable.

FOX 2: Oakland County, MichiganMany people, including those in Southeast Michigan, have already been deeply affected by the tragedy in Washington, D.C., where a jet collided with a helicopter close to Reagan National Airport.

Local viewpoint:

At the time of the fatal collision at Reagan National Airport, Oakland County Sheriff Mike Bouchard was in route from Washington, D.C., to Detroit.

As the Major County Sheriffs of America named him Sheriff of the Year, Bouchard said his week in D.C. was unforgettable. Following the conclusion of the discussions on Wednesday, Bouchard went to Reagan National Airport in order to board an aircraft to Detroit.

In a strange, eerie way, I was actually on my way to the airport when I noticed the Potomac River and thought, “Oh, it has an icecap over it.” They’re a little more temperate than Michigan, so it’s definitely rare here,” he added.

He was traveling when a military Blackhawk chopper and American Airlines Flight 5342 collided over the Potomac. According to Bouchard, he was messaging his loved ones and coworkers at the time. However, he was unaware of what transpired until he returned to Metro Detroit.

There were probably a number of people who were relieved to hear back. You know, I can only imagine how silent it would be if you texted a friend or loved one who was on that plane that did go down,” he remarked. “That s not a great feeling.”

He claims that he finds it difficult to comprehend the catastrophe because the sheriff’s office has two helicopters and he questions how the tragedy happened given all the safety equipment.

“You can hear it barking even while you’re landing or entering other areas since it detects or knows specific objects are around. He remarked, “I believe the words it uses are traffic, traffic, traffic.”

According to Bouchard, he anticipates that the National Transportation Safety Board and other investigators will look through the black boxes to ascertain what went wrong.

“Why that helicopter and that plane were both in the same spot at the same time which is obviously rule 101 for air traffic safety, is not to have that happen,” he stated.

We know:

At least 28 bodies have been pulled from the frigid waters of the Potomac River by hundreds of responders.

Just over three miles (4.8 kilometers) south of the White House and the Capitol, the collision took place in perhaps of the world’s most strictly regulated and watched airspace, according to the Associated Press.

The defense official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the Blackhawk helicopter that was involved in the incident was based at Fort Belvoir in Virginia.

Highlighted

As of Thursday morning, officials reported that hundreds of responders had pulled at least 28 remains from the freezing waters of the Potomac River following a fatal jet crash.