American authorities have released some new information regarding last Wednesday’s tragic plane crash amid their probe.
Investigations into what caused the Army helicopter and American Airlines Flight 5342 are ongoing in the wake of one of the biggest aviation disasters in U.S. history, with officials keen on determining what happened in the moments leading up to the incident.
According to data from Air Traffic Control, the military aircraft, which was being flown by 28-year-old Captain Rebecca M. Lobach and carrying two other soldiers, was flying higher than it should have been.
The soldiers were on a training exercise in an area in Washington, D.C., where the maximum altitude for helicopters is 200 feet. Planes and helicopters fly there at the same time on a regular basis as the airspace around the Ronald Reagan Airport is usually very busy.
Investigators found that the chopper was flying at 300 feet.
Per the National Transport Safety Board (NTSB), radar data is rounded off to the nearest 100 feet, suggesting that the craft was between 251 feet and 349 feet. The passenger flight had been cleared to land and was flying around 329 feet at the time of the collision.
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American Airlines Crew Made A Last-Ditch Attempt To Avoid The Plane Crash
Officials noted that the American Airlines pilots made a late effort to avoid the crash by trying to propel the plane back upwards but to no avail.
“At one point very close to the impact, there was a slight change in pitch, an increase in pitch,” the NTSB’s Todd Inman revealed.
“The crew had a verbal reaction. Sounds of impact were audible about one second later, followed by the end of the recording,” his colleague, Brice Banning, added.
Wreckage is still being retrieved from the Potomac River and will likely provide more clues as to what happened.
Meanwhile, all 67 passengers who were on the plane have been recovered from the icy water, with just one still unidentified as of Tuesday.
