Investigators said Friday that the Army helicopter crew involved in the midair collision with an American Airlines jet near Ronald Reagan National Airport may not have heard air traffic control instructions to pass behind the plane.
National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) Chairwoman Jennifer Homendy stated that a recording from the Black Hawk helicopter cockpit suggests the crew missed a crucial directive just before the Jan. 29 crash, which resulted in the deaths of all 67 people aboard both aircraft.
The Black Hawk was conducting a check flight, during which the pilot was being tested on night vision goggle uses and instrument flying. Investigators believe the crew wore night vision goggles throughout the flight.
Homendy explained that the Black Hawk crew never heard the controller’s full instruction to “pass behind” the jet, as the helicopter’s microphone key was depressed at that exact moment.
Additionally, during an earlier phase of the flight, the helicopter’s pilot reported an altitude of 300 feet, while the instructor pilot indicated 400 feet, though the reason for this discrepancy remains unclear.
“At this time, we don’t know why there was a discrepancy between the two,” Homendy said Friday.
The collision marked the deadliest U.S. aviation disaster since 2001.
This is a developing news story and will be updated as more information is available.
Reporting by the Associated Press contributed to this story.
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