On Wednesday night, American Airlines Flight 5342 collided with a military helicopter near Ronald Reagan National Airport in Washington, resulting in all onboard fatalities. The crash occurred during the regional jet’s final descent, shortly after a steep pitch change. Investigators from the National Transportation Safety Board noted the Black Hawk was flying above its authorized altitude of 200 feet, at about 300-350 feet. This discrepancy caused concern as the radar had shown the helicopter at its authorized height, contributing to the tragic outcome.
Investigators are puzzled that the radar depicted the Black Hawk at 200 feet, but the actual height was reported over 300 feet at the time of the collision.
The midair crash of American Airlines Flight 5342 and an Army Black Hawk helicopter is the deadliest aviation accident in the U.S. in 25 years.
Collection
[
|
...
]