American Airlines flight attempted to turn upward before deadly collision with military Black Hawk helicopter: report

The American Airlines flight from Wichita, Kansas, that was preparing to land at Ronald Reagan National Airport in Washington, DC, on Wednesday attempted to turn upward at the last moment before colliding with a Black Hawk military helicopter.

The sudden change in trajectory was not enough to avoid the midair collision, as the military helicopter was flying higher than authorized. Investigators from the National Transportation Safety Board are still determining whether the last-minute adjustment was prompted by an alert warning the pilots of an issue with the plane’s final descent, The New York Times reported.

“I can tell you at one point very close to the impact, there was a slight change in pitch, an increase in pitch,”  said Todd Inman, a member of the safety board.

On Saturday, board members provided new details about the moments leading up to the crash. Data recovered from the flight recorders showed that the aircraft collided between 300 and 350 feet above the Potomac River. This means the helicopter was over 100 feet above its authorized altitude on its route.

Investigators are also examining potential inconsistencies in the radar data used by air traffic controllers, which appeared to show the Black Hawk only 200 feet above the ground. Investigators emphasized that this information is preliminary and requires further verification. Officials have not determined why the air traffic controller might have had inaccurate data regarding the helicopter’s altitude.

“That’s what our job is — is to figure that out,” Inman said. “That’s what we’re doing.”

Air traffic control recordings from Wednesday night revealed that the helicopter pilots had been informed of the circling passenger jet that was preparing to land and were directed to pass behind it. When the jet was about 500 feet from the ground, the controller asked the helicopter crew if they had visual contact with the plane and to pass. Moments later, the jet’s automated system issued a “Traffic. Traffic” advisory.

Seconds before the impact, the plane’s crew could be heard reacting, and flight data showed the aircraft increasing its pitch. Immediately afterward, the collision occurred, and the sound of impact was heard by the controller.