The tragic accident that occurred last week in Washington, D.C., in which a regional passenger plane from American Airlines and a U.S. Army UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter collided in mid-air over the Potomac River, has prompted a thorough investigation by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). The crash claimed the lives of 67 people and has highlighted potential failures in air traffic coordination.
Recovery of Debris and Key Data
The rescue team recovered part of the fuselage and the right engine of the Bombardier CRJ-700, while the recovery of the helicopter is scheduled to take place after the complete extraction of the airplane.
The NTSB has obtained the training records and flight logs of both crews, as well as the maintenance records of the involved aircraft. The collected information will help reconstruct the operational backgrounds of the responsible pilots and mechanics.
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Radar Data and Impact Altitude
According to Jennifer Homendy, chair of the NTSB, new radar data from Potomac TRACON, a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) air traffic control facility in Virginia, will provide a more accurate picture of the incident.
Preliminary investigations indicate that the CRJ-700, which had taken off from Wichita, Kansas, was flying at 325 feet (99 meters) at the time of impact. This suggests that the UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter was above 200 feet (61 meters), the altitude limit allowed for the route it was using.
Homendy emphasized that the radar data from Washington, D.C., is updated every five seconds, which could influence the assessment of the helicopter’s position, especially considering its speed.
Air Traffic Coordination
The investigation has also revealed that the air traffic controller alerted the helicopter about the presence of the CRJ-700 approximately two minutes before the collision. However, the operational procedures and decisions made by both crews in those critical moments are still being analyzed.
Additionally, the NTSB is reviewing previous incidents in which military helicopters have had close encounters with airplanes in the area of Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, which could lead to an expansion of the investigation to other regions with mixed civilian and military air traffic.
Impact and Area Restrictions
The Washington, D.C. Fire Department reported that as of Sunday, 55 of the 67 fatalities had been identified. Furthermore, human remains have been recovered and are still in the process of identification by the medical examiner.
The aircraft debris has been moved to Hangar 7 at Ronald Reagan Airport for more detailed analysis. Meanwhile, much of the Potomac River remains restricted to authorized vessels, and two less frequently used runways at the airport remain closed.
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