A tragic mid-air collision occurred between an American Airlines flight and a U.S. Army Black Hawk helicopter on Wednesday, January 29th, over the Potomac River. The American Airlines flight departed from Wichita, Kansas, with 64 people on board and suffered the unexpected collision as it was preparing to land at the Reagan Washington National Airport. The crash took the lives of everyone on board both aircraft, becoming the deadliest American aviation disaster in 16 years.
What caused the collision?
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) is the lead investigative agency on the case of the collision between American Airlines flight and a U.S. Army helicopter , working to determine the cause of the crash. The NTSB is a US government agency responsible for investigating civil transportation accidents and helping prevent future incidents through safety recommendations. There has been little information released regarding the cause; however, a preliminary report is due 30 days from the collision date.
According to new information, the U.S. Army Black Hawk helicopter was reportedly flying at 300 feet. This is 100 feet higher than the permitted altitude for helicopters in the area. The reason for the increased altitude is not yet known, with the NTSB needing additional information from the helicopter to both confirm the altitude and the cause of it. Officials expect to recover the remains of the Sikorsky UH-60 military helicopter from the water this week after finishing the American Airlines aircraft recovery.
Brice Banning, the NTSB investigator in charge, stated that
This is a complex investigation. There are a lot of pieces here. Our team is working hard to gather this data.
The recovery efforts
Emergency teams have successfully recovered the bodies of the 67 victims from the Potomac River, near Reagan Washington National Airport. The chief medical examiner’s office is still in the process of identifying the remaining body. The recovery of the bodies is a significant step to bringing closure to families and friends after the devastating incident.
In a statement on Tuesday Feb. 4, Washington officials said:
Our hearts are with the victims’ families as they navigate this tragic loss. We extend our deepest condolences and remain committed to supporting them through this difficult time.
Among the passengers aboard the flight were members of the US figure skating community, including young athletes, coaches and their family members who were returning from the National Development Camp and the U.S. Figure Skating Championships held in Wichita, Kansas. Coaches Evgenia Shishkova and Vadim Naumov, world champions in pairs competition in 1994, both lost their lives in the incident.
The collision was a tragic accident that claimed the lives of many people and forever altered the lives of so many others. Families find some comfort in the closure of the accident after the victims’ recovery. The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) continues to analyse flight data and air traffic communications to determine the cause of the accident. Which will hopefully help establish security regulations to stop this kind of collusion from happening again.
Investigation will continue into the circumstances of the crash. More updates are expected in the coming weeks.
