Black Hawk Helicopter Was Flying Too High Before Crashing into American Airlines Plane in DC, NTSB Confirms

Data from the black box recovered from the wreckage in the Potomac River suggested that this altitude conflict may have happened.

An Army Black Hawk helicopter was flying too high when it collided with an American Airlines jet near Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport in Washington, DC last week, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) confirmed on Tuesday.

The military helicopter was flying at 300 feet at the time of the fiery crash on January 29, the NTSB said. The maximum allowed altitude for helicopters in that area — which also serves as a flight path for jets entering and leaving Reagan — is 200 feet. Radar data is rounded to the nearest 100 feet, meaning the helicopter could actually have been flying anywhere between 251 and 349 feet, according to the NTSB.

Black Hawk Was at Fault

American Airlines midair collision
The moment the American Airlines jet collided with the Black Hawk midair over Wsahington DC X

The helicopter, piloted by 28-year-old Captain Rebecca M. Lobach during a routine training exercise, was flying at an altitude of 300 feet—exceeding the 200-foot limit allowed for helicopters in that area.

Reagan National Airport is known for its heavy air traffic, and overlap between jet and helicopter flight paths is a common occurrence.

Rebecca Lobach
Rebecca Lobach X

Data from the black box recovered from the wreckage in the Potomac River suggested that this altitude conflict may have happened. However, the NTSB awaited confirmation from air traffic control data to verify the helicopter's elevation.

The American Airlines jet involved in the collision had been given clearance to land at DCA.

The Black Hawk, carrying three soldiers, was engaged in a training exercise to re-qualify pilots for future missions in the area—an operation they had conducted multiple times before, according to Army aviation deputy director Col. Mark Ott.

Jonathan Campos and Samuel Lilley
Jonathan Campos and Samuel Lilley X

Officials, working alongside the Naval Sea Systems Command Supervisor of Salvage and Diving, have recovered most of the aircraft wreckage from the icy Potomac River, the NTSB reported.

Since radar data is rounded to the nearest 100 feet, the helicopter's actual altitude could have ranged between 251 and 349 feet, according to the NTSB.

Meanwhile, the passenger jet was at 325 feet at the time of the collision and had received clearance to land.

Investigation Still Ongoing

In the final moments before the collision, the plane's pilots tried to pull the aircraft upward in a last-second effort to evade the approaching helicopter. "At one point very close to the impact, there was a slight change in pitch, an increase in pitch," NTSB's Todd Inman said in a press conference Saturday night.

American Airlines Flight 5342
The moment American Airlines Flight 5342 collided with a Black Hawk helicopter X

There were no survivors from either aircraft, and as of Tuesday, all 67 bodies have been recovered from the water.

The American Airlines flight, which took off from Wichita, Kansas, had 60 passengers and four crew members on board, while the helicopter carried three soldiers.

"This is a complex investigation," said Brice Banning, NTSB investigator in charge. "There are a lot of pieces here. Our team is working hard to gather this data."

Rebecca Lobach
Rebecca Lobach X

Officials said that the wreckage will be transported to a secure site for further investigation.

The Black Hawk is scheduled to be lifted from the water later this week. The NTSB noted that it cannot verify the helicopter's precise altitude or other details until it has been recovered and examined.

With 67 fatalities, the crash marks the deadliest commercial aviation disaster in the U.S. in over 20 years.

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