United States officials have announced that the pilot who was flying the Black Hawk helicopter that crashed into American Airlines Flight 5342 last Wednesday made a mistake.
The Army helicopter had three soldiers on board while flying a route near the Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport. The unthinkable happened when it collided with the airplane, sending them both into the Potomac River below.
The AA flight was carrying 60 passengers and four crew members, none of which survived.
Washington D.C. officials have since determined that the helicopter was flying too high, with the National Transportation Safety Board having determined that the military aircraft was around 100 feet higher than it should have been.
The crash happened at an altitude of 300-350 feet, but the helicopter wasn’t supposed to have gone higher than 200 feet.
As investigators search for the cause of America's worst air disaster in nearly two decades, early flight data shows the U.S. Army Black Hawk helicopter appeared to be flying at 350 feet, when it should have been under 200 feet. @GioBenitez has the latest. https://t.co/qsUdR1dfA0 pic.twitter.com/SCTN45rWkZ
— World News Tonight (@ABCWorldNews) January 31, 2025
Helicopter Which Collided With American Airlines Flight 5342 Was Put On Alert Twice
Investigators also found that the helicopter might have only registered at 200 feet for Air Traffic Control, so it could have caused some confusion
According to transcripts obtained from a briefing by CNN, the helicopter was flying a pre-approved route called Route 4 and had a ceiling of 200 feet. The NTSB told reporters that Air Traffic Control informed the helicopter crew that a jet was close to them on two occasions, with the crash occurring shortly after.
Authorities weren’t able to say why the helicopter was flying as high as it was but are trying to determine as much in their investigation.
Meanwhile, the pilot has been identified as 28-year-old Rebecca Lobach.
Over 40 bodies have been recovered from the Potomac River since the crash.
