On Jan. 29 at 9 p.m. EST, an American Eagle plane and Black Hawk helicopter collided while heading for the Reagan National Airport near Washington D.C., plunging into the Potomac River. All 64 people were killed in the collision. This crash was one of the worst aviation crashes since November of 2001.
The helicopter involved in the collision was on a training flight and belonged to B Company, 12th Aviation Battalion out of Fort Belvoir in Virginia, Joint Task Force-National Capital Region media chief Heather Chairez told CBS News.
Officials said that it appeared the chopper was flying nearly 200 feet higher than it should have been at the time of the crash. Captain Rebecca M. Lobach and Chief Warrant Officer 2 Andrew Lloyd Eaves were flying the helicopter.
What were the possible errors for this horrible collision to occur on Jan 29? Many have speculated that their data was wrong and that was why the crash occurred.
According to AP News, the helicopter crew may have had poor information on the altitude from their altimeter, as the pilots had differing altitudes in the seconds before the crash, NTSB said. This piece of information may have played a key role in why these fatal crashes occurred.
The pilots could have possibly not heard directions and or seen the plane itself. “The instruction was to pass behind the CRJ. That transmission was interrupted — it was stepped on. We do not have evidence on the cvr of the Blackhawk they may have not received the ‘pass the behind the,’” NTSB Chair Jennifer Homendy said.
Homendy’s words give insight on what occurred within the communication and the errors involving the missed directions and whether this lifesaving guidance was heard by the pilots.
NTSB also stated approximately 20 seconds before the collision, the plane’s collision avoidance system issued an alert but they have not yet confirmed if the system was recognizing the Blackhawk in that alert. This evidence suggests that the control unit of the plane could have been hindered causing the miscommunication and overall collision.
Ongoing investigations are being held surrounding this deadly aviation crash. According to FOX5 , the family of a man who was killed on Jan. 29 has filed legal claims against the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the U.S. Army. This lawsuit is adding a whole other layer to a plane crash since this family lays fault to the army for this crash.
A press release issued by Clifford Law Offices on Tuesday also stated, “The $250 million claims are directed against multiple governmental agencies that may be responsible.” This lawsuit is very important to this ongoing investigation of this crash.
Overall, this crash was horrendous and tragic. The families of the people whose lives were claimed by the crash were forever altered by this crash. As investigations continue, we pray for those families struggling with the losses of their family members.
