Experts say understanding the altitude of the Army Black Hawk helicopter at the time of its collision with a passenger jet is crucial to determining the cause of the disaster. Military pilots were conducting a routine training mission when the helicopter slammed into the commercial airliner, killing all 75 people on board. Investigators have recovered black boxes from both aircraft which will provide vital information about the flight paths and altitude at the time of impact.
What happened inside the Army Black Hawk helicopter in the moments before the fatal crash is key to unraveling the disaster, experts say.in almost a quarter century, understanding what happened inside the Army Black Hawk helicopter — and exactly what altitude it was flying at when it collided with a passenger jet — will likely be key to unraveling the disaster, aviation experts say.
American Eagle Flight 5342 was descending to land at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport; the Army helicopter was shifting from one flight path to another, a common move often performed in the busy airspace above the nation’s capital. The passenger jet’s last known altitude was logged at about 375 feet, according to the aircraft tracking website FlightAware. But helicopters generally are not permitted to fly above 200 feet near Reagan, under Federal Aviation Administration rules.
Koziol, the Army aviation adviser, said the instructor pilot had about 1,000 flying hours and the co-pilot, who was undergoing the evaluation, had about 500 hours. Another open question is whether the Army aviators were wearing night-vision goggles at the time of the crash. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said in that the Black Hawk pilots “did have night vision goggles.” However, it is not clear whether the aviators were using them. The devices can aid pilots as they navigate dark terrain, but some experts say they could limit a pilot’s vision in a brightly lit, congested airspace.
HELICOPTER CRASH BLACK HAWK AIRLINER FATAL ACCIDENT FAA INVESTIGATION
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