by Melanie Sun at The Epoch Times
Investigators have found conflicting altimeter readings from the control tower data of the Black Hawk military helicopter and the passenger jet that collided over Washington on Jan. 29.
National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) officials told reporters on Feb. 1 that preliminary altimeter data do not match the events on the night of the deadly accident.
Officials said the control tower recorded the Black Hawk helicopter flying at an altitude of 200 feet at the time of the collision, in line with its maximum allowed altitude for its flight path.
However, data from the passenger jet’s flight recorder show the collision occurred at an altitude of about 325 feet, plus or minus 25 feet.
“That’s what our job is, to figure that out,” NTSB member J. Todd Inman said during an evening news conference on Feb. 1.
Investigators hope to reconcile the altitude differences with data from the helicopter’s black box, which is taking more time to retrieve because it became waterlogged after it plunged into the Potomac River. They also said they plan to refine the tower data, which can be less reliable.
Investigators are also focusing on the actions of the military pilot and air traffic control, which has in recent years been struggling with shortages in manpower under the management of the Federal Aviation Administration.
A Clear Night to Fly
On the evening of Jan. 29 at about 9 p.m., a regional passenger jet was hit by an Army helicopter that was flying on a routine “annual proficiency training flight” under clear skies; 67 people died. The training was to practice routes to be used to evacuate key government officials if needed during an attack or major catastrophe.
American Airlines Flight 5342 from Wichita, Kansas, with 64 people on board, was descending to land at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport along a known landing route. The Army Black Hawk helicopter had three soldiers on board who Army officials have said were highly experienced and also familiar with the congested skies around the airport.
There were no survivors after both aircraft plunged into the icy Potomac River, despite best efforts by hundreds of first responders who launched an all-out search and rescue effort through the night.
“This is a complex investigation,” Brice Banning, NTSB investigator in charge, said. “There are a lot of pieces here. Our team is working hard to gather this data.”
Helicopter flights in the crowded airspace around Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport have been put on hold as the investigation continues.