Black Hawk Altitude Questioned in DC Midair Collision Investigation
Source: nypost.com New Radar Data Suggests Helicopter Was Flying Too High Recent radar evidence suggests that the U.S. Army’s Black Hawk Altitude helicopter involved in last week’s fatal midair collision was flying above its designated altitude limit, raising new questions in the ongoing National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) investigation. The crash, which occurred near Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, resulted in the deaths of all 67 people aboard both the helicopter and American Airlines Flight 5342. According to the latest data released Tuesday, the Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk, stationed at Fort Belvoir, Virginia, was flying at an altitude of approximately 300 feet—100 feet above its assigned limit—when it collided with the Bombardier CRJ700 jet. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) had previously outlined that helicopters using the designated route over the Potomac River were restricted to 200 feet. The NTSB emphasized that this radar data is rounded ...