Black Hawk helicopter was flying too high, half-mile off predetermined route when it crashed with American Airlines flight mid-air: report

Four people briefed on the matter told the New York Times that the helicopter was supposed to be flying lower to the ground and in a different location as it flew around the busy airport. The helicopter pilot had asked the air traffic controller for permission to use Route 4 at Reagan, a specific, predetermined route on the Potomac that lets helicopters fly no higher than 200 feet and hugs the east side of the river. The route would have let the helicopter avoid the flight.

The helicopter pilot confirmed visual sight of the commercial flight and the air traffic controller instructed the helicopter to go behind the plane, as laid out in the established route.

Instead, the helicopter was above 300 feet and at least half a mile off the approved route when it collided with the plane. 3 people were aboard the helicopter and 64 passengers and crew were on the flight, and all are presumed dead.

President Donald Trump wrote on Truth Social, "The Blackhawk helicopter was flying too high, by a lot. It was far above the 200-foot limit. That’s not really too complicated to understand, is it???"

A senior Army official who spoke with the outlet cautioned against making any assessments until the helicopter’s black box could be retrieved and analyzed, and said that the helicopter’s pilots had flown the route before and were well aware of the altitude restrictions and tight route around the airport.