In the wake of the tragedy that occurred this week in Washington when an 
American Airlines regional aircraft collided with a United States Army Black Hawk helicopter, many have been wondering about the second aircraft involved in the incident. Considering the extensive congestion inside Washington, D.C. airspace, many have been wondering why exactly the United States Armed Forces operate helicopters inside the D.C. metropolitan area, with concerns continuing to mount as to how essential Black Hawk operations must be to have them operate within such busy airspace.