Sanford flight school gives perspective on DC plane crash: 'We can learn from this'

SANFORD, N.C. (WTVD) -- George Scheer has been flying planes for 30 years and he's the chief flight instructor at the Wings of Carolina Flying Club.

He teaches ground school from this classroom to those pursuing an interest in aviation. According to Scheer, flying is still the safest form of transportation.

"I am not going to die on an airliner. I'm going to die of cardiac arrest. I'm going to die of cancer. I'm going to die of the things that we all fall prey to sooner or later," said Scheer.

Scheer said he believes there will be lessons learned from the collision between an Army Black Hawk helicopter and an American Eagle passenger jet that killed 67 people.

"What we can learn from each one. Each one tells a story. Each one helps us avoid that situation in the future," he said.

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Seven of the 67 people killed when an American Airlines jet and Army helicopter collided in midair were members of the two flight crews.

The most crucial piece of evidence was recovered from the passenger jet: the black box. The hope is it will help make flying safer in the future.

"Oddly enough, the black box is not black, it's typically bright orange or some color that makes it easier to retrieve out of a river on a dark night," said Scheer. "Did the flaps operate like they were supposed to or engine? It records flight data. The other is cockpit voice recorder which records conversation among pilots."

Scheer said the NTSB should issue a report within days or weeks of the crash, but expects a full report to be released within the next year or so.