Investigators have released new information about the final moments before a fatal mid-air collision between a U.S. Army helicopter and a commercial airliner near Washington, D.C., that killed 67 people in January.
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) began a three-day hearing on Wednesday, July 30, to examine the January 29 crash near Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport. Thousands of pages of records have been released as part of the ongoing probe, shedding new light on the sequence of events that led to the tragedy, ABC7 Chicago reports.
All 64 passengers and crew on board American Airlines Flight 5342 were killed, along with the three Army personnel in the Black Hawk helicopter. The collision occurred over the Potomac River, adjacent to the airport.
The NTSB has not yet determined whether the crash was caused by pilot error, air traffic control oversight, or a combination of factors. However, the new data has intensified scrutiny of the helicopter’s flight path and altitude, as well as the controller’s decision-making.
According to an animation presented by the NTSB during the hearing, the American Airlines jet, which was en route from Wichita, Kansas, was instructed to change runways roughly five minutes before landing. The flight, carrying a number of young figure skaters returning from a training camp, acknowledged and complied with the request.
At the same time, a UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter was conducting a night training evaluation. The aircraft was returning to Fort Belvoir, Virginia, and was piloted by Capt. Rebecca Lobach, 28, with instructor Chief Warrant Officer 2 Andrew Eaves, 39, and Staff Sgt. Ryan O’Hara, 28, also on board, per the Washington Post.
The Black Hawk was flying a route with a maximum authorized altitude of 200 feet near the airport. However, investigators say it was operating well above that, fluctuating between 250 and 300 feet in the minutes before the crash.
Roughly three minutes before impact, Eaves reportedly told Lobach to “come down for me,” after noticing their altitude had reached 300 feet, according to PEOPLE.
Two separate warnings were issued to the helicopter by an air traffic controller (one about two minutes before the collision and another about 90 seconds later) alerting them to the nearby passenger jet. On both occasions, the helicopter crew acknowledged the warnings and requested “visual separation,” a procedure in which they would take responsibility for avoiding the other aircraft. The controller approved the request.
In the final seconds, Eaves instructed Lobach to turn slightly: “Alright, kinda come left for me ma’am, I think that’s why he’s asking,” he said. She responded: “Sure.” Eaves added: “We’re kinda out towards the middle,” to which Lobach replied: “Okay fine.”
The exchange lasted just four seconds. At the time, the helicopter was flying at 270 feet; the American Airlines jet was descending at 320 feet. Three seconds later, the two aircraft collided at 8:48PM.
The NTSB hearing continues through Friday as investigators work to determine the causes of the crash and assess possible changes to airspace safety protocols.