Final Conversation Revealed Between Black Hawk Pilot and Her Instructor Before They Collided with Passenger Jet

NEED TO KNOW

• The NTSB just started a three-day investigative hearing into the Jan. 29 collision of an Army helicopter and American Airlines Flight 5342

• Sixty-seven people were killed

• Among the new details from the hearing, which started on Wednesday, July 30, is a recap of what led up to the crash

New details have been released about the final minutes before an Army helicopter collided with an American Airlines passenger jet in January near Washington, D.C., killing 67 people.

The information, disclosed along with thousands of pages of records as part of the government’s ongoing probe, fuels further questions about the Black Hawk’s conduct in the sky — including whether the craft actually knew where it was in the air.

On Wednesday, July 30, the National Transportation Safety Board began a three-day hearing into the Jan. 29 crash at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, which has been under investigation for months.

All 64 people on the American Airlines flight were killed along with the three crew members on the chopper.

It remains unclear if the collision was caused by some kind of mistake on the part of the helicopter crew. Air traffic controllers have also drawn scrutiny after reports of staffing issues that day; helicopters have long flown close to the airport, too.

As part of this week’s hearing, officials showed an animation of what led up to the fatal collision over the Potomac River next to the airport.

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According to the NTSB presentation, which expands and confirms some previous information released by authorities, American Airlines Flight 5342 last communicated with air traffic controllers when they were told to switch runways about five minutes before landing, which they agreed to do.

The jet was flying to D.C. from Wichita, Kan.; a number of young figure skaters were on board after attending an elite training camp.

At the same time, the helicopter, which was flying as part of a night evaluation for the pilot, Capt. Rebecca Lobach, was heading back to Fort Belvoir in Virginia.

The Black Hawk had a three-person crew: Lobach, 28, as well as Chief Warrant Officer 2 Andrew Eaves and 28-year-old Staff Sgt. Ryan O’Hara.

Eaves, 39, was reportedly the instructor.

Crucially, the route the helicopter was flying had a maximum altitude of 200 feet near the airport — but the helicopter continued to fly well above that, varying between the mid-200 feet range up to more than 300 feet as it approached Reagan.

Later on Wednesday’s hearing, officials testified that the helicopter’s crew appeared to think they were flying lower than they were, possibly because of an altimeter error.

At various times, they announced they were at altitudes approximately 100 feet lower than they were.

About three minutes before the crash, Eaves told Lobach to “come down for me” because they were at 300 feet, according to the new NTSB presentation.

The presentation also shows the helicopter was twice warned by an air traffic controller about the approaching passenger jet, once about two minutes before the collision and again about 90 seconds later. Both times, the helicopter said it could see the other plane and requested a “visual separation,” in which they would be allowed to navigate around the jet. A controller approved that.

Five seconds after the second warning to watch out for the incoming plane, Eaves, the helicopter instructor, told Lobach, “Alright, kinda come left for me ma’am, I think that’s why he’s asking,” to which she replied, “Sure,” the presentation shows.

Eaves then said, “We’re kinda out towards the middle,” and Lobach said, “Okay fine.”

The entire exchange lasts about four seconds. The helicopter was 270 feet in the air. Not far away, the American Airlines jet was descending toward the runway and was only 320 feet in the air.

Three seconds later, at 8:48 p.m. local time, they collided.

The NTSB hearing will continue this week.

Read the original article on People