The flight data from the night when a Black Hawk helicopter and an American Airlines plane collided mid-air has provided critical insights into the tragic event.
Ongoing investigations are underway following the collision on January 29, when an American Airlines regional jet was approaching Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport in Washington, DC.
The jet was nearing the runway when it collided with a US Army Black Hawk, causing both aircraft to crash into the Potomac River nearby, resulting in the unfortunate loss of all lives on board.
Emergency responders have now recovered a total of 67 bodies from the river, which includes 64 passengers from the plane and three from the helicopter. Meanwhile, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has been providing periodic updates on the investigation, the latest of which followed the acquisition of flight tracking data from the crash night.
On February 4, the NTSB issued a press release detailing that the Black Hawk was recorded at 300 feet on the air traffic control display during the collision, with the data rounded to the nearest 100 feet.
This altitude is significant because helicopters operating in the National Capital Region must adhere to a 200-foot ceiling, suggesting the Black Hawk had breached this limit. Nonetheless, the NTSB notes that the rounding of data means the helicopter could have been flying anywhere between 251 feet and 349 feet at the time of impact.
The board seeks more data from the Black Hawk to confirm these points, which will only be accessible once the helicopter is retrieved from the water; a task expected to be carried out later this week.
Recovered components of the American Airlines flight include the right wing, center fuselage, portions of the left wing and left fuselage, and significant sections of the forward cabin and cockpit.
This update from the NTSB follows their recent revelation that the American Airlines pilots executed a last-minute maneuver before the crash.
Todd Inman, an NTSB official, stated at a press conference on February 1: “At one point very close to the impact, there was a slight change in pitch, an increase in pitch.”
As the investigation proceeds, authorities are reviewing both the Black Hawk’s maintenance records and the cockpit voice recordings from each aircraft.