Flying on the partially submerged fuselage of American Airlines on 5342 flights on the Potomac River, which hides Washington DC Samuel Colum/Getty Images on Saturday.
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Samuel Column/Getty Images
Three days after an airborne collision between an Army helicopter and an American Airlines passenger plane near the Washington National Airport, air safety investigators on Saturday went to fill out some important details that could point to the cause of the crash. He said he is still working on it.
They are looking into whether the Army Black Hawk helicopter pilot experienced vision loss while flying in the dark sky, and whether the copter has deviated from its normal route.
During a Saturday evening briefing, the Black Hawk said he might have been flying higher than it should have.
However, investigators have stopped verifying that helicopters have violated aviation rules that require a stay of less than 200 feet, based on publicly available flight data.
The shock on Wednesday night sent passengers into icy waters of the Potomac River. All 67 people on both aircraft were killed. The most fatal air force accident that will occur in the United States 20 years later.
NTSB member J. Todd Inman said the helicopters are taking part in the training mission. Aircraft usually use night vision in events like these. Investigators are still working to see if the crew were wearing night vision goggles, according to Inman, a factor that could play a role in the accident.
“At this point, I don't know if night vision goggles are actively worn,” he said.
Preliminary data shows that the Black Hawk was flying at an altitude of 325 feet at the time of the collision, according to Inman. Reagan National is one of the busiest airports in the country. Aviation regulations require that the helicopters on that route above the Potomac remain below 200 feet. The final transmission altitude of the AA Flight 5342 was about 300 feet.
Data downloaded from the two recording devices recovered from the passenger seat is under analysis, investigators said. The Black Hawk cockpit recorder, commonly known as the Black Box, was recovered in good condition, Inman said. Data from the device can be important when investigators decide what led to the crash.
The NTSB is leading the investigation to investigate another plane crash. Two days after the DC area collision, a small plane plunged near the Philadelphia Shopping Center, with all six on board and one on the ground.
