On January 29, a routine runway switch by the air traffic controller at Ronald Reagan National Airport led to a fatal collision between American Airlines Flight 5342 and an Army Black Hawk helicopter, resulting in 67 fatalities. As investigations continue, aviation experts suggest that the pilots acted normally and that the focus should shift to the circumstances allowing the helicopter to enter the flight path. The National Transportation Safety Board is examining wreckage from the Potomac River, with an initial report expected soon but a comprehensive accounting to take longer.
The decision to switch runways was fateful, bringing the plane closer to the Army Black Hawk helicopter that it would collide with in a crash.
Investigators are likely to focus on understanding why the helicopter entered the plane's flight path and whether the air traffic controller... should have done more.
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