All three black boxes recovered from the wreckage of the US's worst ever air crash between two air craft in two decades over Washington DC - Three things went wrong in the collission

 

All three black boxes recovered from the wreckage of the devastating  midair collision near Washington, DC over the Potomac river - Ex-Black Hawk helicopter pilot believes three things went wrong in plane collision 

By TN Ashok              Washington, Feb 01, 2025  

 

Here is the latest update on the midair collision between American Airlines and the Black Hawk helicopter over Washington DC over the Potomac River in which 67 people lost their lives, the deadliest air crash in US aviation history in the last two decades.  

Black boxes recovered: Aviation Authorities have recovered a combined voice and flight data recorder from the US Army Black Hawk helicopter involved in Wednesday’s deadly collision with an American Airlines regional jet. With this the authorities have Tthe complete set of recorders they need to investigate the causes of the crash and what happened in the final minutes before the collision. 

 

FAA action near airport: The Federal Aviation Administration has indefinitely shut down the low-altitude helicopter corridor that was in use at the time of the midair collision near Reagan National Airport, an FAA official told CNN. Just a day before, another flight was forced to abort its first landing after a helicopter flew near its flight path. 

 

Recovery operation: Crews have recovered 41 bodies from the collision site, and 28 of them have been identified, according to fire officials. The jet, flying from Wichita, Kansas, was carrying 64 people, while three soldiers were aboard the helicopter. All are presumed dead. A groom-to-be pilot, a daughter of Indian immigrants and figure skating champions were among the victims. 

 

Philadelphia crash: Meanwhile, a medevac jet with six people on board — including a pediatric patient — crashed in northeast Philadelphia on Friday night, causing a fiery explosion, according to authorities and video from the scene. 

            

Bodies  recovered from the crash down Black Hawk helicopter 

The bodies of all three service members have now been recovered from the Black Hawk helicopter, according to informed sources.   

Medevac jet crashes near mall in northeast Philadelphia 

A twin-engine medevac jet has crashed in northeast Philadelphia, near the Roosevelt Mall, authorities said. “A Learjet 55 crashed around 6:30 p.m. local time on Friday, Jan. 31, after departing from Northeast Philadelphia Airport,” the Federal Aviation Administration told CNN in a statement. 

 

The aircraft had six people on board and was en route to Springfield-Branson National Airport in Missouri, the FAA said. 

 

One of the six people on board was a pediatric patient, said Jet Rescue, the air ambulance company operating the flight. 

 

Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro says he has spoken with the Philadelphia mayor and is offering all commonwealth resources as the emergency response unfolds.The city’s Office of Emergency Management said in a post on X it was working on a “major incident” near Cottman and Bustleton avenues and that roads were closed in the area. 

 

The FAA and National Transportation Safety Board will investigate the crash. 

Several houses and vehicles “were impacted,” Philadelphia Mayor Cherelle Parker said at a news conference Friday evening. 

 

The plane crash comes as authorities continue their probe into Wednesday’s deadly collision about 150 miles to the northeast in the Washington, DC, area, where an American Airlines regional jet and a US Army Black Hawk helicopter collided over the Potomac River. 

 

  

Father in shock after young figure skater daughter and wife killed in midair collision 

 

Justyna Magdalena Beyer and her daughter Brielle Beyer were among the victims of the deadly American Airlines collision. 

Just two weeks ago, young figure skater Brielle Beyer celebrated her 12th birthday with a lavish sleepover party organized by her mother, Justyna Magdalena Beyer. 

 

Brielle and Justyna were among the victims of the deadly American Airlines collision, according to father and husband Andy Beyer. 

 

“I’m just so in shock right now,” Beyer told CNN. “And there’s like a place in my mind that I can’t get near with all of the pain and grief. It’s like the door in my house to my daughter’s room. I just can’t go anywhere near it.” 

 

Justyna was always “pouring her heart out for her children,” Beyer recalled. 

Justyna organized Brielle’s sleepover party complete with crafts, a movie night, tents, a breakfast bar and even a rainbow balloon arch — which Beyer said is still up in their basement. 

 

“Justyna did not do anything small for the kids, everything she did was big and it had to be special and beautiful and memorable. That was how she expressed herself as a mom,” Beyer said. 

 

Beyer fondly recalled a memory of Brielle choreographing her own skating routine and performing it on the rink when she was just 10 years old. He said it was his favorite performance she ever did. 

For Thanksgiving, the family went on one of their many road trips, which Brielle loved taking, Beyer said. 

 

Brielle and her brother enjoyed getting cozied up in the car with their stuffed animals and their dogs and watching TV shows together, Beyer said. They had a tradition of taking photos at all the rest stops and restaurants where they pulled over. 

 

Brielle also loved her brother, Beyer said. She was a “girly girl” just like her mother, with the duo sharing a love for fashion and beauty. “She was just the sweetest girl,” he said. 

  

Reagan National Airport has “busiest runway in America,” congressman says 

The fatal aircraft collision on Wednesday “speaks to the larger issue of a very complicated airspace,” according to Rep. Don Beyer, who represents Arlington County, which includes the Reagan National Airport. The airport had 25 million passengers in 2024 when it was designed for 14 million, Beyer told CNN’s Jake Tapper on Friday. 

 

Beyer said his office wrote a letter to Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth requesting a continued operational pause or redirection of the Black Hawk helicopter training route near Reagan airport. 

 

The low-altitude helicopter corridor that was in use at the time of Wednesday’s collision was indefinitely shut down by the Federal Aviation Administration. 

 

“What’s not clear is that those training flights need to be done right next to the airport. Why not move them out someplace in Southern Maryland and Virginia?” Beyer said his office is asking the defense department to examine over the next weeks whether that pause should be permanent. 

 

“It’s the busiest runway in America. We saw another miss yesterday with the helicopter. A couple of near misses in the last six months,” said Beyer. 

  

No recommendations for changes will be made until after report is finished, NTSB member says 

The National Transportation Safety Board will only issue recommendations on changing rules once the full report on the incident is finished, said board member Todd Inman. 

“Once this investigative report comes out, we will be advocating – probably for years – for changes that need to be made,” he said. “We will not speculate on what needs to be done until we have the facts.” 

 

Usually, multiples layers of redundancy would’ve prevented the collision, Inman said, adding that this incident “should not have happened.” 

 

The NTSB has issued over 15,000 recommendations on different investigative incidents, of which about 84% have been accepted by agencies like the Federal Aviation Administration, he said. 

  

Black Hawk helicopter voice and data recorder has been recovered and has no exterior damage, NTSB says 

The black box voice and data recorder from inside the Black Hawk helicopter has been recovered and has no signs of exterior damage, according to National Transportation Safety Board Member Todd Inman. “The Sikorsky has a combined cockpit voice recorder and digital flight data recorder,” said Inman. “I can report to you now that we have recovered the Sikorsky black box.” 

  

Regional jet’s recorder found to have water intrusion, NTSB member says 

 

J. Todd Inman, member of the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), speaks with members of the media at Reagan National Airport as the search continues at the crash site of the American Airlines plane on the Potomac River on Friday.  

 

One of two recorders recovered from the regional jet involved in Wednesday’s collision has sustained water intrusion, National Transportation Safety Board Member Todd Inman said. 

“That is not uncommon. It is not an unusual event for us to receive a recorder with water intrusion. We deal with that all the time,” Inman said at a news conference Friday afternoon. 

The cockpit voice recorder was soaked overnight in ionized water, at which point the team put it into a vacuum oven in order to extract moisture, Inman said. 

The NTSB is still checking electric connections to determine if they’re ready to try a download, he added. 

“It is one step of many steps that we will take in order to get that data, but we have a very high level of confidence that we will have it,” Inman said. “We just have to work through a number of steps.” 

In addition to the cockpit voice recorder, the flight data recorder recovered was found to be in “good condition,” Inman said. It was soaked into alcohol overnight and opened Friday. 

“We have a high level of confidence that we will be able to get a full download in the very near future,” he said. 

The flight data recorder has approximately 2,000 data points, which have to be synchronized and reviewed, Inman said. He added that it would be a “very laborious practice” that will take time. 

 

Some context: Large commercial aircraft and some smaller versions of aircraft are required by the FAA to be equipped with two “black boxes,” the flight data recorder and cockpit voice recorder. The flight data recorder monitors altitude, airspeed and heading, according to the NTSB. The cockpit voice recorder records radio transmissions and sounds in the cockpit, like pilot voices and engine noises. 

  

Air traffic control interviews have begun 

Interviews of air traffic control personnel have begun and will be ongoing, according to National Transportation Safety Board Member Todd Inman. “They will be ongoing for probably the next few days,” he told reporters on Friday. All witnesses are cooperating, he added. 

 

The interviews will be used to match with other data the NTSB is receiving, and follow-up interviews may be scheduled if required, Inman said. 

 

The interviews are critical, Inman explained. The process began immediately after the crash and it is needed to preserve the evidence — taking notes, giving logs and any other information. 

 

Any air traffic controller involved in the incident will be scrutinized. Their prior 72 hours, perhaps even weeks before the incident, will be examined, along with their training and hiring, perhaps even “what they ate that day,” Inman detailed. 

 

NTSB will also examine the FAA’s staffing details, he added. 

An air traffic controller, who was working at the time of the accident, has been interviewed, Inman confirmed. 

  

lp with salvage operations, NTSB says 

Barges are on the way to assist with salvage operations in the aftermath of the deadly collision, National Transportation Safety Board Member Todd Inman said at a Friday evening news briefing. The barges are expected to arrive Saturday morning from Virginia Beach, Inman said. 

There are two “distinct debris fields” from the crash, he added. 

 

“The good news is based upon the initial mapping, while there are some small aspects of that debris field, there are large chunks that will be easily recoverable,” Inman said. 

Additionally, a Black Hawk certified pilot was brought in to help with salvage efforts, he added. 

  

NOW: NTSB officials are providing an update on the investigation 

The National Transportation Safety Board is holding a briefing on the investigation into the fatal plane collision between American Airlines Flight 5342 and an Army Black Hawk helicopter near Washington, DC. 

 

The news briefing will be held at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, which the commercial plane was approaching Wednesday before the collision that killed all 67 people aboard the two aircraft. 

 

Two black boxes have been recovered from the plane and are being analyzed at the NTSB’s lab. As for the helicopter, the NTSB said the military aircraft is fitted with a recorder of some kind, but it’s not clear if it contains voice recordings, data or both. 

  

A beloved husband and true adventurer killed in collision, family says 

 

 

Chris Collins, 42, is one of the victims killed in the midair collision over Washington, DC, his family told CNN in a statement. Collins grew up in North Dighton, Massachusetts, and later became a financial professional in New York City where he met his wife Jen, his family said. 

 

“Our family is devastated by the loss of Chris, our beloved husband, son, brother, and uncle,” the family said Friday. “Chris was a true adventurer with a passion for the outdoors and a lifelong love of animals.” 

 

He was adored by his parents and was always ready for a friendly competition with his brother. His “call to the outdoors never wavered” as he enjoyed adventures such as hiking, rafting, and skiing, the family said. 

 

“Chris’ kindness and compassion extended to everyone, whether you were a family member, friend, or one of the many strangers he connected with during his outdoor adventures,” his family said. “He will be in our hearts forever.” 

  

14 members of Northern Virginia figure skating community among victims of collision, facility manager says 

Fourteen members of a tight-knit figure skating community in Northern Virginia are among the victims in Wednesday’s midair collision, Ashburn Ice House General Manager Rob Lorenzen said at a Friday news conference. 

 

Lorenzen said he didn’t have a list of confirmed names but said the 14 people were members of the ice rink in Ashburn and the MedStar Capitals Iceplex in Arlington. “Many children spend long hours here practicing daily, which means their parents spend long hours here, which means we get to know the families on a very intimate level,” said Lorenzen. 

 

“Our reach is widespread amongst this skating community and our connections are regional to the many skaters who have been affected by this tragedy,” he added. 

 

“This is such a terrible tragedy and so counter intuitive to the environment that we typically provide. This is an area of recreation. People come here to have fun, relax, enjoy their children,” Lorenzen continued. 

  

How NTSB investigators will probe the collision 

 

Emergency response units search the crash site of the American Airlines plane on the Potomac River on Thursday in Arlington, Virginia.  

 

Investigators from the National Transportation Board are working this week to determine what caused the collision between an American Airlines regional jet and a US Army Black Hawk helicopter. “We will help find out what happened,” NTSB board member J. Todd Inman said during a news conference Thursday. “We will do it factually and we will do it accurately.” 

 

The NTSB has named parties involved, which include PSA Airlines, the regional carrier for American; Sikorsky, the manufacturer of the Black Hawk helicopter; and NATCA, the union which represents air traffic controllers, among others. 

 

The agency also said there will be groups working on the investigation – operations, structures, power plants, systems, air traffic control, survival factors, helicopter and human performance groups, Inman outlined. 

 

Homendy explained that the NTSB will look at the “human, the machine and the environment,” just like any other investigation. “We will look at the aircraft,” she said. “We will look at the helicopter. We will look at the environment in which they were operating in. That is part of that is standard in any part of our investigation.” 

 

So far, the black boxes, the cockpit voice recorder and flight data recorder from inside the commercial airplane – a Bombardier CRJ700 – have been recovered and are being analyzed at the NTSB’s lab. Investigators have not yet announced whether the recorder from inside the helicopter has been retrieved. 

 

A preliminary report will be available within 30 days that will offer the initial facts gathered by the agency. About a year later, a final report will be issued containing all of the agency’s findings and details of the investigation. Typically, it includes recommendations for safety improvements. 

  

What is the National Transportation Safety Board? 

 

The seal of the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). Al Drago/Bloomberg/Getty Images 

At the site of this week’s midair collision is the National Transportation Safety Board, the independent federal agency charged by Congress to investigate “every civil aviation accident in the US and significant events in the other modes of transportation.” 

 

In addition to aviation incidents, the agency investigates railroad, transit, highway, marine, pipeline and commercial space. 

 

It has an annual budget of $140 million and about 400 employees located in Washington, DC, and its regional offices in Aurora, Colorado; Federal Way in Washington state; and Anchorage, Alaska. Since it was created in 1967, the NTSB has investigated over 153,000 aviation accidents and thousands of other transportation events. 

 

It also offers assistance to survivors and family members impacted by incidents. 

NTSB Chairwoman Jennifer Homendy has been with the organization since 2018, when she was nominated by President Donald Trump during his first term to serve a one-year vacancy. She was re-nominated for a full term in 2019 and later nominated as chairwoman in 2021 and 2024 by former President Joe Biden. 

  

28-year-old from New York identified as victim in collision 

A New York woman is one of the victims of the deadly collision over Washington, DC, according to her family.Melissa Jane Nicandri, 28, was “everything that anyone could hope for with a daughter — beautiful, smart, funny, kind and generous,” her family told CNN in a statement. 

 

“We are devastated by the sudden loss of Melissa,” the Nicandri family said. “Melissa had an adventurous spirit and will be missed forever.” 

The family asked for space during this time but said they will hopefully be able to celebrate her soon. 

 

In a post on X, New York City Mayor Eric Adams wrote, “At just 28 years old, her life was tragically cut short. My heart and my prayers go out to her loved ones.” 

  

Man remembers wife and son who died in DC plane collision 

 

Julia and Sean Kay. Vitali Kay/KYW 

 

A Delaware man whose wife and son were both killed in the collision says he rushed to the airport after his wife didn’t pick up her phone when she was supposed to arrive at Reagan National Airport. Vitali Kay told CNN affiliate KYW he and his wife, Julia, had been together for more than 20 years after meeting in college. He described Julia as full of energy. 

His son, Sean Kay, who was also killed, loved playing the guitar and was training in ice dancing, he told KYW. 

 

Kay mentioned to The Washington Post his son Sean developed an interest in ice skating after his older sister began skating. 

  

Following collision, authorities are discussing changes to helicopter routes around Reagan airport 

Informal discussions are beginning in Washington, DC, about enacting changes to the helicopter routes that military helicopters use on the Potomac River, a source familiar with the investigation into Wednesday’s midair collision told CNN. 

The Army Black Hawk helicopter that hit an American Airlines flight on approach to Reagan National Airport was on a routine training flight using defined helicopter corridors known as Route 1 and Route 4. 

 

“It’s in discussion,” the source told CNN. “There’s discussion about scheduling those flights and doing them at different times.” 

In response to the crash, the FAA has since suspended helicopters from using large portions of the routes for the foreseeable future. 

A trans National Guard pilot was falsely accused of flying the helicopter in the fatal plane collision 

A trans member of the National Guard is speaking out after a wave of claims on social media falsely pointed to her as the pilot of the Black Hawk helicopter that collided with a passenger jet in Washington on Wednesday, killing 67 people. 

 

Jo Ellis, a UH60 Black Hawk helicopter pilot for the Virginia Army National Guard, posted on Facebook Friday to dispel the rumors that had echoed President Donald Trump’s unsubstantiated blaming of diversity initiatives for the fatal accident. 

 

“Some craziness has happened on the internet and I’m being named as one of the pilots of the DC crash,” Ellis wrote. “It’s insulting to the victims and families of those lost and they deserve better than this BS from the bots and trolls of the internet.” 

 

In her Facebook post, Ellis shared a screenshot of two X posts that linked her being trans to the catastrophic crash, with one user saying they “wouldn’t be surprised” if “the pilot was trans” in response to another post that claimed Ellis “has been making radicalized anti-Trump statements on socials. The latter account has since deleted the post and published an apology. 

 

At the time of both corrections, “Jo Ellis” was the No. 3 trending topic on X, with 19,400 posts. And, despite Ellis’ correction — which she further addressed in a follow-up Facebook video, captioned “proof of life” — far-right accounts on X have continued to spread misinformation and hate speech. 

“We’re going to be careful” in recovery efforts amid challenging weather conditions, DC Fire and EMS chief says 

 

Beginning Thursday, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Baltimore District began supporting the effort to clear wreckage from the Potomac River as part of the larger interagency recovery effort after the Potomac River Aviation Incident. David Adams/US Army 

 

Search crews continuing to look for missing people in the Potomac River are “going to be careful” as weather conditions pose challenges for recovery efforts, DC Fire and EMS Chief John A. Donnelly said in a Friday news conference. 

 

Divers working on the recovery of victims of the plane collision near Washington’s Reagan National Airport are facing intense mud and near-zero visibility, despite the aircraft resting on only a few feet of water, experts say. 

 

“We’re going to be careful. We’re going to make sure we don’t hurt anybody else. But the weather we’ve seen so far is weather we can work in, so if that were to change that would affect it,” Donnelly said. 

 

Scattered showers continue to move through the Washington, DC, area Friday afternoon and rain is likely to pick up in coverage and intensity this evening. Rain should come to an end shortly after midnight and the weekend will remain dry. 

Winds have gusted over 25 mph across the area on Friday, but should begin to ease in the evening. 

 

While the weekend is expected to be dry, it will be cool with high temperatures in the mid-40s. Winds will increase again on Saturday morning as sustained winds of 10 to 15 mph and gusts over 20 mph move through the region. Winds will decrease slightly through the afternoon and remain lighter on Sunday. 

  

“This has been a tough” operation for responders, DC Fire and EMS chief says 

The recovery mission has been tough for responders, DC Fire and EMS Chief John Donnelly Sr. noted during a news briefing on Friday. “This has been a tough response for a lot of our people. We’ve had over 300 responders operating at one time, and I think we’ve got about 500 people that have worked through the site,” he said. “So unified command has activated peer support for its first responders, to make sure that everybody has somebody that can help us get through this.” 

 

Donnelly expressed gratitude for the support from World Central Kitchen and local restaurants that have provided food. He also thanked the community and said while donations would be helpful, people should guard against fundraising scams and only donate through trusted, verified sources. 

 

Further in the recovery operation, search teams will continue working on the site, including sonar scanning, searching sewer lines, and conducting aerial operations, Donnelly said. Dive teams are also working in targeted areas, he added 

 

“Additional Coast Guard assets will arrive this afternoon. The salvage crews have begun to arrive on the scene, and they’re assessing the work that’s going to be needed to recover the aircraft from the water. We expect those operations to begin no later than tomorrow afternoon,” Donnelly said. 

 

He encouraged members of the public who see potential wreckage to call 911 and not touch anything. 

  

Fuselage needs to be removed to recover bodies, DC Fire and EMS Chief says 

The fuselage of the aircraft involved in the collision will need to be removed in order to remove all of the bodies from the water, according to DC Fire and EMS Chief John Donnelly, Sr. 

“I believe for us to recover the rest of the remains, that we are going to need to get the fuselage out of the water,” Donnelly said at a Friday news conference. 

 

He added that most, but not all, of Friday’s recovery operations have focused on the Black Hawk military helicopter involved in the crash. 

Donnelly said previously that 41 bodies have been recovered from the water. A total of 67 people are thought to have been killed in the collision. 

 

Asked if authorities are confident they know where the remaining bodies are, Donnelly said, “we think we know where they are,” but “we won’t know until we’re done.” 

“I believe that when we remove the aircraft, that that will help us resolve this number,” he went on. “If it doesn’t, we will continue the search.” 

  

US Army names 2 of the 3 soldiers killed in helicopter collision with American Airlines plane 

The US Army has officially released the names of two of the soldiers on board the Black Hawk helicopter that collided with a passenger plane on Wednesday night over the Potomac River near Reagan National Airport.The Army identified Staff Sgt. Ryan Austin O’Hara, 28, as one of the three crew members killed in the crash, pending positive identification. O’Hara, from Lilburn, Georgia, was the Black Hawk’s crew chief. 

 

The second soldier has been identified as Chief Warrant Officer 2 Andrew Loyd Eaves, 39, from Great Mills, Maryland. The Army said his remains have not yet been recovered. 

“At the request of the family, the name of the third Soldier will not be released at this time,” the Army said. 

 

Though the third soldier’s name is not being released at the request of her family, CNN was told she was co-piloting the Black Hawk and had about 500 flight hours. 

The two crew members whose bodies have not been recovered are classified as duty status-whereabouts unknown. 

 

Eaves, the instructor pilot on board the helicopter, had about 1,000 flight hours, making him an experienced pilot, CNN has reported. 

Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves said the state is in mourning after Eaves was killed, according to a post on X Thursday. 

 

“Mississippi is mourning the loss of Brooksville native Chief Warrant Officer 2 Andrew Eaves, who was killed in last night’s accident at Reagan National Airport,” Reeves said. 

Josh Muehlendorf, Chief Warrant Officer 5 with the US Army, worked with O’Hara when he was a senior instructor pilot of the battalion O’Hara was in. He told CNN O’Hara’s “military occupational specialty was a 15T and he was originally trained to be a maintainer of Black Hawk helicopters.” 

 

Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp expressed condolences for O’Hara on Thursday. O’Hara leaves behind a wife and 1-year-old son, CNN has reported. 

  

Families of 18 victims have been notified, fire chief says 

The families of 18 victims killed in the midair collision have been notified, DC Fire and EMS Chief John Donnelly Sr said at a Friday news conference. 

In all, the remains of 41 people have been recovered from the collision site and 28 have been identified, Donnelly said. All 67 people aboard the American Airlines jet are thought to have been killed. 

 

Authorities are expected to recover all of the bodies, Donnelly said. “That’s why our teams are still working,” he said, noting dive teams working in “targeted areas.” 

“We’ve had over 300 responders operating at one time, and I think we’ve got about 500 people that have worked through the site,” Donnelly said. 

  

NOW: Officials share updates on deadly midair collision 

Officials are providing updates on the ongoing recovery effort following Wednesday’s collision between an American Airlines regional jet and US Army Black Hawk helicopter. 

The news conference is being held at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, where the jet had been preparing for landing before colliding with the helicopter and crashing into the Potomac River. It is expected to feature Washington, DC, fire and police officials, alongside other agencies involved in the emergency response. 

 

Authorities have set up a mobile morgue near the crash site, where medical personnel are processing the victims’ remains as divers recover them from the river. The effort is being hampered by near-zero visibility in the water and other difficult conditions. 

  

Black Hawk helicopter’s higher altitude may have been “final hole that was filled,” former air traffic controller says 

The Black Hawk helicopter flying higher than its restricted altitude may have been the “final hole that was filled” in Wednesday night’s fatal plane collision, former air traffic controller Vincent Sugent said. 

 

“It appears that if the letter of agreements or whatever agreements they have with those helicopters and the military that they have to stay at a certain altitude and the controllers are assuming he’s going to do as they agreed to do,” Sugent told CNN’s Boris Sanchez and Brianna Keilar Friday afternoon. “And unfortunately, if that’s what happened, then that’s the final hole that was filled.” 

 

President Donald Trump took to Truth Social Friday morning to post that the Black Hawk helicopter was “flying too high, by a lot” before the midair collision near Reagan National Airport that resulted in the deaths of 67 people. 

 

The post comes as the New York Times is reporting that the military helicopter may have been flying outside of its approved flight path, which called for it to have an altitude of no more than 200 feet. It may have been flying at a higher altitude than it was supposed to be, and at least half a mile off the approved route. 

 

“It appeared to me that everything he’d done, the controller did, was proper,” Sugent said, citing audio tapes of the crash. “He didn’t sound rushed; he didn’t sound panicked. Also, on top of that, there was no urgency from the pilot, so he assumed that the pilot was talking about the same airplane he was talking about and none of that seemed to bring really any sort of alarm to anybody.” 

 

“It didn’t seem to me from the controller point of view or the pilot point of view at that point that the holes were lining up until the last minute until they either climbed or misidentified the wrong aircraft,” Sugent continued. 

  

Flight attendant on American Airlines plane was living “one of her dreams” 

From CNN’s David Williams 

 

Flight attendant Danasia Elder. 

Flight attendant Danasia Elder was one of the 67 people killed in Wednesday’s midair collision involving American Airlines Flight 5342, the Association of Flight Attendants announced in a Facebook post. She was based out of Charlotte, North Carolina, and had been flying since 2024, the union said. The association highlighted its “commitment is to do everything in our power to make sure this never happens again.” 

 

“She was very bright, very smart. She was an entrepreneur. This flight attendant thing was kind of like one of her dreams she wanted to do,” her brother-in-law, Brandon Payne, told CNN affiliate WSOC. 
 

Elder leaves behind her husband and two children, WSOC reported. 
Payne described Elder as “a great wife, a great parent, a great friend.” She was a person who was “full of life” and loved God, her kids and travel, he said. 

  

Flight data appears to show helicopter was 100 feet above maximum altitude and off course 

Flight tracking data from the moments before the fatal midair collision on Wednesday night appears to show the Black Hawk helicopter was flying 100 feet above the maximum allowed altitude and was veering off the prescribed route along the east side of the Potomac River. 

Just two minutes before the midair collision, flight tracking data shows the military helicopter at 200 feet as it crossed over East Potomac Park, which is the maximum allowed altitude along the helicopter route known as Route 1. 

 

As the Black Hawk flew over the Potomac River, flight tracking data indicates it climbed from 200 feet to 300 feet, placing it closer to the airport and higher than it should have been. The helicopter remained at that altitude until seconds before the crash, when flight tracking data shows a rapid descent back down to 200 feet. 

 

At the same time, the Black Hawk also appears to turn toward the center of the river, according to flight tracking data, which would have been a deviation from the standard route hugging the east bank of the Potomac River. 

The helicopter’s turns would have put the military helicopter closer to Washington’s Reagan National Airport than the standard route as the American Airlines regional jet was nearing the airport. 

 

“Based on the data we’re able to see, I think that’s a fair assessment,” said Ian Petchenik, spokesperson for FlightRadar24, a flight tracking company. 

Petchenik cautioned that the flight tracking data for the Black Hawk is imperfect. The military helicopter was sending a Mode S signal, which transmits basic data about altitude and aircraft identification. 

 

The American Airlines flight was broadcasting an ADS-B signal, which provides far more information to air traffic control. “ADS-B is worlds beyond the standard Mode S data. Mode S data allows you to have just a few bits of information,” Petchenik told CNN. 

 

A full understanding of the moments before the midair collision will require a complete analysis of the black boxes on board the aircraft, but even an incomplete picture indicates the helicopter was not in the right position. 

  

Trump’s claim on military helicopter flying too high was based “on truth,” White House press secretary says 

A morning post from President Donald Trump claiming the military helicopter involved in the collision was flying too high was based “on truth,” White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt told CNN Friday but didn’t offer more details about his remarks. 

 

“The president based that statement on truth, because it is truth and it’s fact, and it was relayed to him by the authorities who are overseeing the investigation into this horrific plane collision,” Leavitt told CNN’s Jeff Zeleny during a White House press briefing. 

“[T]he president… continues to be briefed on the collision by everybody across his cabinet: the Secretary of Transportation, the Secretary of Defense, the NTSB, who the commissioner there was in the Oval Office with him yesterday.” 

 

Earlier on Friday, Trump said on Truth Social the Black Hawk helicopter “was flying too high, by a lot” before the midair collision. 

 

Some context: Trump’s post came as the New York Times reported the helicopter may have been flying outside its approved flight path at a higher altitude than it was supposed to be, and at least half a mile off the approved route. 

 

Earlier Friday, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said “we don’t quite know” yet which vehicle was at the wrong altitude in an interview with Fox News. 

  

Here’s what we know about the investigation of the DC air collision and its victims 

From CNN’s Jay Croft 

Here is a roundup of key information known by midday Friday about Wednesday’s fatal midair collision near Washington’s Reagan National Airport between an American Airlines plane and an Army helicopter: 

• The Federal Aviation Administration shut down the low-altitude helicopter corridor that was being used when the crash occurred, an official told CNN. The specialized route is for law enforcement, medevac, military, and government helicopters. FAA charts show helicopters must be below 200 feet above sea level. 

• President Donald Trump said on Truth Social that the Black Hawk helicopter was “flying too high, by a lot.” It is unknown if he based this statement on official information or speculation. On Thursday, Trump blamed Democrats and DEI initiatives, without evidence. 

• Trump’s latest post followed a report by The New York Times the helicopter might have been outside its flight plan, higher than it was supposed to be, and at least half a mile off course. 

• “Was the Black Hawk too high? Was it on course? Right now, we don’t quite know,” Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said Friday. 

• The Black Hawk’s recorder hasn’t been recovered. Two black boxes were found on the plane and were being analyzed, National Transportation Safety Board member J. Todd Inman said. 

• Investigators are trying to determine if the helicopter’s crew was wearing night vision goggles. 

• One air traffic controller was performing two jobs at the time of the collision, an air traffic control source told CNN. That is not necessarily uncommon, the president of the National Air Traffic Controllers Association said. 

Meanwhile, more is being learned about the 64 people on the plane. Those confirmed dead include friends on an annual hunting trip, legal professionals, and at least six members of the figure skating community. Three crew members were on the helicopter. 

• Hockey player Peter Livingston, his wife, Donna, and their figure-skating daughters Everly, 14, and Alydia, 11, were regulars at a northern Virginia ice skating facility. They were killed on their way home from Wichita, Kansas, where they participated in US Figure Skating Championship events. 

• Kansas biology teacher Lindsey Fields was the president-elect of the National Association of Biology Teachers (NABT). She was on a business trip to Washington. 

• Kiah Duggins, a civil rights attorney and Harvard Law School graduate, was returning home to the Washington area after visiting family in Wichita. 

• Michael “Mikey” Stovall and Jesse Pitcher were traveling after an annual hunting trip to Kansas. 

• Vikesh Patel was a GE Aerospace employee, the company said. 

• Casey Crafton was a father of three from Salem, Connecticut. 

• Olivia Ter was a 12-year-old figure skater. 

• Skater Spencer Lane, 16, and his mother, Christine Lane, 49, had also been in Wichita. 

Fourteen victims remained to be recovered as the search was suspended for the evening Thursday, according to a source familiar with the efforts. 

Read more about some of the victims identified so far here. 

  

Trump is “exploiting disaster,” congressman from Illinois says 

 

President Donald Trump speaks in the James Brady Press Briefing Room at the White House, on Thursday. Courtesy - AP 

 

President Donald Trump is “exploiting disaster” in the aftermath of the fatal collision over Washington, DC, according to Rep. Jesús García. García, a Democrat who represents Illinois, said that Trump is “exploiting disaster to continue to spread racist lies and divisiveness across the country, simply to score political points with his base,” in a Friday morning interview with CNN. 

 

The congressman added that air travel fatalities have fallen dramatically in recent years. 

“We don’t know what occurred and whether it was human error that caused this flight or other factors,” he said. “That is what we will learn. And once we have the facts and recommendations, our subcommittee on aviation will be prepared to act.” 

  

Here's how recovery teams are processing victims' remains and working with families 

Response teams have set up a mobile morgue near the crash site, where medical personnel are processing the victims’ remains as divers recover them from the Potomac River. 

The large red tents, ambulances and medical teams are set up at the Metropolitan Police Department’s Air Support Unit located at the base of the Frederick Douglas Bridge. 

 

Once the remains are processed, they are taken to a morgue, so the victims’ families can eventually receive the remains of their loved ones. 

 

As of Friday morning, no remains had been brought to the mobile morgue in more than 12 hours, according to a law enforcement source. Officials had determined they recovered all victims’ remains they can access without moving some of the wreckage with heavy machinery, which will soon be brought to the crash site. 

 

Some background: All 67 people on board the American Airlines regional jet and US Army Black Hawk helicopter that collided midair Wednesday night are presumed dead – a grim tragedy that has left a heartbreaking trail of mourning families in its wake. It will be remembered as the deadliest aviation disaster in the US since 2001. 

  

Air traffic control is a “meritocracy,” says former FAA air traffic manager 

The air traffic control profession is a “meritocracy,” according to Michael McCormick, a former FAA air traffic manager and associate professor in air traffic management at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University. “Only the best can go through the rigorous selection program, the screening program and then one-to-five-year training program prior to receiving their certification,” McCormick told CNN Friday morning. 

 

McCormick’s comments come after President Donald Trump blamed DEI policies for the collision. 

 

McCormick, who shut down New York City air traffic on 9/11, also said it was common practice for one air traffic controller to work two different tower positions. 

“In this instance, it was actually a good thing, because now you have one controller who’s actually talking to and controlling both of the aircraft,” he said. 

 

“Otherwise, if it was a separate controller, then the two controllers would have to constantly coordinate back and forth about what is happening and what they’re choosing to do.” 

 

Some context: At the time of the collision, one air traffic controller was working two different tower positions and handling both local and helicopter traffic, an air traffic control source told CNN. The New York Times reported that an internal preliminary Federal Aviation Administration report says staffing was “not normal for the time of day and volume of traffic.” 

  

“A tremendous loss”: Kansas biology teacher killed in collision 

 

Lindsey Fields was killed in Wednesday’s crash of American Airlines Flight 5342. Lindsey Fields/Facebook 

Kansas biology teacher Lindsey Fields was aboard American Airlines Flight 5342 and was killed in Wednesday’s midair collision above Washington, DC. Fields was the president-elect of the National Association of Biology Teachers (NABT). The organization reported her death in a statement and said she was traveling to Washington to “represent the NABT community and advocate for excellence in life science education.” 

 

“This is a tremendous loss. Please keep Lindsey, the other victims, and their families in your hearts. We also ask that you respect the privacy of her loved ones at this time,” the statement said. 
 

Fields was the Biology Department Chair at Butler Community College in Kansas, where she taught biology, anatomy and physiology, according to her faculty biography. 

“Outside of the classroom I enjoy cooking, reading, hiking (any type of activity outdoors really) and spending time with my family and Great Danes. I love to travel to the mountains and spend time fishing,” she wrote in her biography. 

FAA indefinitely closes helicopter routes near Reagan National Airport, official says 

The low-altitude helicopter corridor that was in use at the time of this week’s fatal mid-air collision has indefinitely been shut down by the Federal Aviation Administration, an agency official told CNN.The move is the most significant action taken by the FAA since an American Airlines regional jet and an Army Blackhawk helicopter collided midair on Wednesday night before plunging into the frigid Potomac River in clear weather. A total of 67 people were killed. 

 

“Today’s decision will immediately help secure the airspace near Reagan Airport, ensuring the safety of airplane and helicopter traffic,” Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said later Friday. 

The US Army UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter was using what’s known as helicopter Route 4, a specialized corridor utilized by law enforcement, medevac, military, and government helicopters to fly east of Reagan National Airport. FAA charts show helicopters in the corridor must be at or below 200 feet above sea level. 

 

The route that has been closed is north of the Wilson Bridge, which connects D.C. and Virginia, the FAA said. 

 

The administration has also closed Route 1, a helicopter route that runs south of the Key Bridge connecting DC’s Georgetown neighborhood to Rosslyn, Virginia, has also been closed, the official said. 

  

As chaos unfolds at the FAA, Trump is using DEI as his latest scapegoat, senator says 

President Donald Trump is using his latest attacks on DEI initiatives within federal agencies to distract from chaos at the Federal Aviation Administration, Democratic Sen. Chris Murphy from Connecticut says. 

 

On Thursday, Trump blamed Democrats and DEI initiatives for the deadly midair collision involving a passenger plane and a military helicopter, despite the investigation being in its early stages. 

 

“I have common sense, OK?” Trump said when pressed what evidence he had to give credence to the blame he piled on the Biden and Obama administrations. “Unfortunately, a lot of people don’t.” 

 

Trump has also insinuated that the country’s safety is “at risk” when “women” and “Black people” are at the helm of federal agencies like the FAA, Murphy told CNN Friday. 

“It’s kind of incredible that a president of the United States can say that,” Murphy said. “What he is saying is that the only people who are competent to run anything in this country are White men.” 

 

The FAA, which is part of the DOT, is operating without a permanent administrator since Mike Whitaker stepped down earlier this month. A number of other leadership positions are also vacant, the FAA’s website shows. In remarks late Thursday morning, Trump announced that Chris Rocheleau, a former chief operating officer of the National Business Aviation Association, will lead the FAA in an acting capacity. 

 

The president also let go the entirety of the FAA’s safety advisory board, which oversees safety recommendations for the administration, according to Murphy. 

 

“Instead of actually explaining why he left the FAA leaderless and without any direction,” Murphy added, “he’s blaming Black people and blaming women who work at the FAA without any evidence.” 

  

“They were just a big personality family.” Virginia family of 4 were among victims in DC air collision 

 

Left to right: Donna, Alydia, Everly and Peter Livingston. Livingston family photos 

It was rare to walk into the Ashburn Ice House in northern Virginia and not see a member of the Livingston family. 

 

Everly Livingston, 14, and her 11-year-old sister, Alydia, were promising young figure skaters, dad Peter Livingston played hockey, and mom Donna was active in the girls’ lives, family friend Kim Urban told CNN’s Anderson Cooper. 

 

The family died in Wednesday night’s crash of American Airline’s Flight 5342 on their way home from Wichita, Kansas, where they participated in events surrounding the US Figure Skating Championships. 

“The Livingstons were just – they were just a big personality family. They were loving, they were thoughtful. Donna and Peter were extraordinarily supportive parents. They were loving parents. They were doing anything for their children,” Urban said. “Alydia and Everly were, like, bright children, very talented skaters and super bubbly.” 

Urban said her children had skated with Everly and Alydia for years and were devastated by the news. 

  

In social media post, Trump says the Black Hawk helicopter was “flying too high, by a lot” 

President Donald Trump took to Truth Social this morning to post that the Black Hawk helicopter was “flying too high, by a lot” before the midair collision near Reagan National Airport that resulted in the deaths of 67 people. 

“The Blackhawk helicopter was flying too high, by a lot. It was far above the 200-foot limit. That’s not really too complicated to understand, is it???” Trump posted. 

 

That post comes as the New York Times is reporting that the helicopter in Wednesday’s collision may have been flying outside its approved flight path, at a higher altitude than it was supposed to be, and at least half a mile off the approved route. 

 

It’s unclear whether the president’s post was based on an official briefing or were just speculation. Trump’s post also came as his newly confirmed Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth was on Fox News this morning suggesting that “we don’t quite know” yet who was at the wrong altitude. 

 

“We are looking at altitude. And the president was clear about that. Someone was at the wrong altitude. The investigation will help us understand that. Was the Black Hawk too high? Was it on course? Right now, we don’t quite know,” Hegseth said Friday. An investigation into the collision is underway as recovery efforts have continued into Friday. 

Ground stop issued at Reagan National Airport until 8:45 a.m. due to volume, FAA says 

 

People work inside air traffic control at Reagan National Airport on Thursday.  

 

There is a ground stop issued at Washington Reagan National Airport until 8:45 a.m. due to airport volume, according to the Federal Aviation Administration. 

The airport is operating short of one of its typical runways due to the crash from Wednesday. 

  

Recorder inside Black Hawk helicopter has not been retrieved yet, NTSB member says 

As investigators with the National Transportation Safety Board piece together what lead to a deadly midair collision near Reagan National Airport, NTSB member Todd Inman said crews are working to access data from the helicopter. 

 

Two black boxes have been recovered from the plane, and are being analyzed at the NTSB’s lab, according to Inman. As for the helicopter, Inman said the military aircraft is fitted with a recorder of some kind, but it’s not clear if it contains voice recordings, data or both. 

“We have not retrieved it yet, but we feel comfortable with knowing where it’s at,” Inman told CNN on Friday. These black boxes hold “a lot of different data points that paint a bigger picture and give us more granular information,” he added. 

Meanwhile, it’s too early to speculate on what exactly occurred, Inman said. 

“We hope to have the preliminary report out in 30 days. The overall investigation will probably take a year, but that’s because it has to be accurate,” Inman said. “We’re not going to put something out quick just so we can end some speculation.” 

The headline and post have been updated. 

  

More details are emerging about the investigation into the deadly midair collision. Here's what we know 

 

A diving team and police boat are seen around the wreckage site in the Potomac River near Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, on Thursday. Courtesy  AP 

 

More details are emerging on the investigation into Wednesday’s deadly collision between a military helicopter and commercial passenger jet approaching Reagan National Airport, with concerns raised about both the path of the aircraft and staffing levels. 

Here is what we know this morning: 

 

Military helicopter may have been flying too high: The Black Hawk helicopter may have been flying outside of its approved flight path, which called for it to have an altitude of no more than 200 feet, according to the New York Times. The newspaper said four people briefed on the matter also said the Black Hawk may have been a half-mile off of its designated route. There is a margin of only 350 feet between the designated paths of the helicopter and the commercial jet, meaning any significant deviation could be disastrous, CNN aviation analyst and pilot Miles O’Brien said. 

 

Former Black Hawk pilot says helicopter needed more crew: Questions also are being raised about whether the helicopter was adequately staffed in the crowded airspace around Reagan National. Elizabeth McCormack, a former Black Hawk pilot, told CNN’s Jake Tapper Thursday that having a crew of three on the ill-fated flight was inadequate. “You only have visibility from the front 180 degrees. Your crew chiefs clear the back,” McCormack said. “If you only have one crew chief, how much can you clear? I think that was a major issue.” 

 

Air traffic controller was doing 2 jobs: Coordinating both local plane and helicopter traffic, typically performed by two separate air traffic controllers at DCA, was being handled by one person at the time of the crash, an air traffic control source told CNN. Controllers are trained on multiple positions, and it is not uncommon for them to perform two jobs at once during slower periods, the president of the National Air Traffic Controllers Association said. 

 

Past near-misses: On two occasions in the past three years, passenger planes had to take evasive action to avoid helicopters while on approach to Reagan National, a CNN review of incident reports found. In both cases, the pilots were warned to the presence of the other aircraft by the plane’s Traffic Collision Avoidance System. In a third incident involving two helicopters, an air traffic controller’s report said “there isn’t enough staffing to fill all positions in the tower (cabin).” 

  

Helicopter may have mistaken bright light for plane in fatal midair collision, experts say 

Aviation experts are raising concerns the helicopter pilot may have misjudged the position of the doomed American Airlines plane, mistaking a brighter, moving light in the night sky for the aircraft he’d been instructed to track, as seen in video obtained by CNN. 

“We do see other lights in the area, particularly one bright light from another aircraft, when the air traffic control tower asked the helicopter, ‘Do you have the plane in sight?’” Mary Schiavo, an aviation analyst and former inspector general of the Department of Transportation, told CNN’s Kasie Hunt on Friday.“The first time I looked at that video, I focused on the moving light, not the stationary light, which actually wasn’t stationary. It’s just a matter of vantage point.  

 

There’s a concern that the helicopter pilot may have focused on the brighter, moving light and mistaken it for the plane he was supposed to track,” she added. 

Flying at night presents challenges for pilots, Schiavo noted: “When you fly at night, the movement of lights is where you focus first, and you have to learn that may be a distraction.” 

 

“The helicopter was on the usual flight path for helicopters in Washington, DC, but it may have been too high — possibly not at its assigned altitude or the typical altitude for such operations, which is below the landing path for the airport,” she said. 

  

Key things to know as officials start another day of recovery efforts in DC plane collision 

From CNN staff 

 

Wreckage is seen in the Potomac River on Thursday. Petty Officer 1st Class Brandon  

Officials are investigating the cause of a collision Wednesday night between American Airlines Flight 5342 and a US Army Black Hawk helicopter. Authorities have said there were no survivors. The American Airlines regional jet was carrying 64 people. Three soldiers were on board the military helicopter. 

 

The National Transportation Safety Board will look at a wide range of potential causes of the collision. Exclusive videos obtained by CNN Friday show new angles of the aircraft collision. 

Catch up on some of the latest details: 

• Recovery: There are 14 victims remaining that have yet to be recovered, according to a source familiar with the efforts, as the search suspended for the evening Thursday. There are four people who are accounted for, but they remain pinned inside the plane, the source said. Two soldiers inside the helicopter have yet to be removed. 

• Manifest: The NTSB and other officials are waiting for all of the families of the victims to be notified before they release any details about their identities, Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly said. The governor said she expects to have the flight manifest by Friday. 

• The victims: Friends and families are confirming the deaths of loved ones who were passengers or staff on the plane. Those confirmed include friends on an annual hunting trip, legal professionals and at least six members of the figure skating community. 

• Staffing: There was one air traffic controller working two different tower positions at the time of the collision Wednesday night, an air traffic control source tells CNN. The source describes the set-up, which had one person handling both local and helicopter traffic, as not uncommon. 

• The collision: NTSB member Todd Inman said it was a “very quick, rapid impact” and there are so far no indications that emergency evacuation slides were deployed. The NTSB asked for patience, saying they need time to verify information, according to the agency’s chair, Jennifer Homendy. 

• The investigation: Homendy said the NTSB will look at the “human, machine and the environment” to determine the cause of the deadly collision. Its goal is to have a preliminary report within 30 days, Inman said. The flight data recorder and cockpit voice recorder — known as black boxes — from the American Airlines plane have been recovered, the NTSB told CNN. 

• Military helicopter: The soldiers flying the Black Hawk helicopter involved in Wednesday’s crash were from the Army’s 12th Aviation Battalion. The instructor pilot who was conducting a training mission had about 1,000 flight hours, and the copilot who was being evaluated had about 500 hours, according to Army official Jonathan Koziol, a retired CW5 aviation expert and chief of staff of the Army’s Aviation Directorate. 

• Close calls: Just a day before the fatal collision, another flight approaching Reagan was forced to abort its first landing and go around after a helicopter flew near its flight path, CNN has learned. At least two other pilots in the last three years reported near-misses with helicopters while landing at the airport. 

• White House response: President Donald Trump said he would be meeting with some of the families of the victims, but didn’t say when. On Thursday, despite the investigation being in its early stages, Trump blamed Democrats and DEI initiatives for the crash. 

  

16 hr 13 min ago 

NYT: Black Hawk helicopter in fatal DC collision may have strayed from flight path 

From CNN's Hanna Park 

 

The Coast Guard investigates aircraft wreckage on the Potomac River on Thursday.  

 

The Black Hawk helicopter involved in Wednesday’s deadly collision may have been flying outside its approved flight path, at a higher altitude than permitted, and at least half a mile off its designated route, The New York Times reported, citing four people briefed on the matter but not authorized to speak publicly. 

 

This deviation, if confirmed, raises serious concerns about compliance with flight regulations in the moments leading up to the crash. The possibility was mentioned Thursday by Sen. Tammy Duckworth of Illinois after she was briefed by the Federal Aviation Administration. 

“This particular Black Hawk was under visual flight rules, they had to be providing separation with the landing aircraft, they were responsible for it,” Duckworth told CNN’s Jake Tapper. She stressed the need to determine whether the helicopter was on its correct route. 

Duckworth, a US Army veteran who was a Black Hawk pilot during the Iraq War, said she needs to know now “– from the FAA and from the NTSB investigators – who departed from their route, because that Black Hawk needed to be hugging that eastern riverbank off the Potomac, and the regional jet, of course, was on short final for, I believe, runway three.” 

 

“So, at some point, they converged on each other and lost that lateral separation. And we need to see who drifted into whose flight path,” Duckworth said. 

  

New angles of the midair collision are seen in exclusive videos obtained by CNN 

Editor’s Note: These videos contain sensitive material that may be hard to watch. 

 

Exclusive videos obtained by CNN show previously unseen angles of the collision between an American Airlines flight and a US Army Black Hawk helicopter over the Potomac River on Wednesday night. The videos, both shot on cell phones, show video replays of surveillance cameras capturing the crash between the passenger flight and the military helicopter. 

 

In the first video, the helicopter can be seen flying at speed over the Potomac from the left side of the screen. The Black Hawk has red flashing lights on its tail and body and a green light toward its nose. The American Airlines plane can be seen flying toward the airport. The Black Hawk then collides with the airliner, causing an explosion. The airliner is then seen spinning toward the river before impacting the water. The Black Hawk is also seen falling toward the water, with its flashing lights still visible. 

 

The second surveillance video appears to be shot from the airport grounds. It shows the plane descending into Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport runway 33 from the left and the helicopter flying above the river on the right. They continue to fly toward one another at a low altitude, eventually colliding in a large explosion. After the explosion, both aircraft can be seen falling into the river. 

 

Click below to watch the footage 

  

 

Pilots likely had no warning in deadly DC midair collision, expert says 

Pilots involved in Wednesday night’s collision near Reagan National Airport likely had no warning of the impending disaster, an aviation expert said, citing the limitations of collision avoidance systems at low altitudes and the challenges of night vision. 

 

When flying at night, “about 90% of your vision goes away. Your vision at night is vastly reduced,” Alan Armstrong, an aviation attorney, told CNN’s Abby Phillip Thursday night. “Based on what we’ve seen so far, I’d suggest that these pilots had no awareness of an impending disaster. I don’t think they saw each other coming. If they had, they would have taken evasive action.” 

 

The Traffic Collision Avoidance System, or TCAS, a critical safety tool for pilots, is primarily designed to function effectively at altitudes above 1,000 to 1,500 feet but becomes less effective closer to the ground, Armstrong explained. 

 

At the lower altitude where the collision occurred, key functions of the collision avoidance system are disabled to prevent issuing commands that could push pilots into unsafe maneuvers near the ground, he said. 

  

Why the Washington, DC, area is challenging to fly in 

 

The Washington Monument is seen as US Coast Guard vessels work the scene of the wreckage on Thursday. Petty Officer 1st Class Brandon Giles/ US Coast Gurd  

 

An Army pilot who has flown Black Hawk helicopters around Reagan National Airport in the Washington, DC, area told CNN the Army’s flights are routinely planned down to the smallest detail — which is even more important when navigating the area’s complex airspace. 

 

“People are like, ‘This looks intentional,’ and I cannot stress enough that this is already a very congested area for both those aircraft,” an Army pilot who previously flew with the unit connected to the crash told CNN. “It’s already very difficult modes of flight for both aircraft … 

 

The idea this could in any way be intentional, that’s not even on the table.” 

By Army regulation, the pilots would have had to brief their entire flight plan within their unit before taking to the air, the pilot said. The crew would assess the plan on a series of risks — the weather, how much light are they expecting, what maneuvers do the pilots intend to do, where they will land, and more. 

Based on the risk, a senior briefer — typically a senior pilot — will assess the plan and approve or disapprove parts of their flight plan; that assessment will then be run by the unit’s commander, then submitted to the FAA. 

 

“It’s an incredibly complex series of risk mitigation that happens leading up to them going out and flying in this situation,” the pilot said. But with that level of detail being planned out before the flight, the pilot said it would be “very simple things” that would have to go wrong to result in the tragedy that occurred Wednesday night. 

 

The pilot also rejected the theory that the Black Hawk didn’t have its transponder on, which has been surfacing on social media as a potential cause for the crash. There are multiple layers of things that would have to go seriously wrong for an aircraft without its transponder on to ever be inside that airspace, the pilot said, especially given post-9/11 safeguards. 

  

Civil rights attorney among victims of DC plane collision 

 

Kiah Duggins was a civil rights attorney and Harvard Law School graduate. Civil Rights Corps 

Kiah Duggins, a civil rights attorney and Harvard Law School graduate, was among those lost in the midair aircraft collision at Reagan National Airport on Wednesday, her family confirmed in a statement obtained by CNN affiliate KWCH. 

 

“We are coming to terms with the grief associated with the loss of our beautiful and accomplished firstborn. Please respect our family’s privacy at this time,” the statement read. 

Duggins, who had been visiting family in Wichita, Kansas, was returning to her home in the Washington, DC, area at the time of the accident. 

 

A graduate of Harvard Law School in 2021, Duggins served as president of the Harvard Legal Aid Bureau during her time there and most recently worked as an attorney with the Civil Rights Corps in Washington. On a 2023 podcast, she described her work litigating cases involving police abuse and pretrial detention across the country. 

This fall, Duggins was set to begin a new role as a professor at Howard University School of Law. 

 

Her career also included time as a White House intern during the Obama administration, where she worked on the First Lady’s Let Girls Learn initiative, and nearly a year teaching English in Taiwan on a Fulbright grant, according to her LinkedIn and biographical information provided by Wichita State University, where she earned her bachelor’s degree in economics. 

  

Transportation Secretary Duffy: “This is not what I expected on my first day on the job to be” 

From CNN's Kaanita Iyer 

 

Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy listens during a media briefing at Reagan National Airport on Thursday. Courtesy - AFP 

 

With the investigation into the midair collision at Reagan National Airport underway, Sean Duffy said Thursday night that he did not expect to be confronted with a major crisis just hours after being sworn in as transportation secretary. 

 

“This is not what I expected on my first day on the job to be, but I do believe that God puts us exactly where we’re supposed to be,” Duffy said in a post on social media. 

Duffy added that he has met with the families of those who died in the plane crash and shared that on Friday, he will visit the Federal Aviation Administration command center and recovery hanger. 

 

“I will continue to keep the families and the public up-to-date with what we are doing in this situation and every other situation that falls under” the transportation department, Duffy continued in the post. The transportation secretary also said he is developing a “plan to fix” the FAA. 

Source : CNN