Army helicopter was warned about plane two minutes before DC crash
The Black Hawk helicopter that crashed into an American Airlines plane was alerted to the plane’s presence by air control twice, the first time at least two minutes before the deadly crash, according to a Washington Post report.
Aviation experts reviewed Wednesday night’s radio transmissions, obtained by The Washington Post, and said that a soldier on the Black Hawk requested “visual separation” so that the helicopter crew could maintain a safe distance from the plane, which it could see. Both times, the request was approved by air traffic control.
At 8:48 p.m., about 12 seconds after the second air traffic control tower alert, the helicopter and passenger plane collided.
According to the aviation experts who reviewed the recordings, these warnings show that the helicopter crew had plenty of time to react and avoid the plane, but may not have because they saw something else in their line of vision — but not the American Airlines flight they eventually crashed into.
“If he was looking at the right airplane, he wouldn’t have hit him,” retired National Transportation Safety Board investigator Scott Dunham told The Washington Post. “They were miles apart. … The resolution literally takes seconds.”
Flight path data shows another plane behind the American Airlines flight and about 11 miles from the helicopter.
According to Dunham, the second airliner may have been difficult to distinguish from the American Airlines plane arriving from Wichita, especially at night.
The mid-air collision claimed the lives of 64 people on the plane and 3 soldiers on the Black Hawk.
Officials said Friday during a news conference that they have full confidence that they will be able to recover all 67 bodies. So far, the National Transportation Safety Board has confirmed the recovery of 41 victims.
The National Transportation Safety Board is investigating the crash over the Potomac River.
As of Friday, the agency has been able to recover the Black Box recorders from both of the aircraft and believes it will be able to recover all of the data within them.
