Posted on 01/31/2025 1:06:15 PM PST by E. Pluribus Unum
The military Black Hawk helicopter that crashed into a passenger plane near Reagan National Airport Wednesday appears to have been flying above the permitted altitude, publicly available flight data analyzed by CBS News shows.
This data point is one of several key mysteries investigators are exploring as they seek to explain what caused the nation's worst air disaster in more than a decade, aviation experts said.
"That's the $64 million question that needs to be answered," said Greg Feith, a former senior air safety investigator with the National Transportation Safety Board, in an interview with CBS News.
The permitted flight ceiling on the Potomac River near Reagan National Airport is 200 feet – a crucial ceiling for keeping the heavy flow of military helicopters safely clear of the steady commercial aircraft traffic into and out of the nation's capital.
Data from FlightRadar24, which tracks and records aircraft data for most flights across the U.S., showed the helicopter's last estimated altitude was about 400 feet when it crashed. The jet's altitude was about 375 to 400 feet, according to data from FlightAware and FlightRadar24.
"They're military pilots; they're familiar with the routes," Feith said. "Why is it on this day, on that flight, they were [as much as] 150 to 200 feet higher than they knew they should be?"
Steven B. Wallace, a former director of accident investigations for the Federal Aviation Administration, told CBS News he believes investigators will direct attention to the altitude of the Black Hawk.
"I don't want to speculate on the cause, but I can speculate what's going through the mind of the investigators," Wallace said. "I think that is very likely going to be the focus."
Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth said the investigation is examining if the...
(Excerpt) Read more at cbsnews.com ...
Just heard they announced the names of the two military personnel in the chopper but a third was not named AT THIS TIME, WHY?
Parent have asked that the name not be released at this time.
Why did you post this article? It has absolutely zero information.
DEI pilot could not read an altimeter?
The parents of the co-pilot, have requested that DoD not release her name.
That whirlybird was too high, and right in front of the landing runway. How did they not know they were too high AND obstructing the landing approach? The other question is who else was part of its crew?
Maybe they were chasing a drone.
They might want to rethink withholding the name, everybody already thinks they are covering for a dei tranny.
Does anyone know the normal rate of climb by a Blackhawk?
Her name
The real question is why would they allow helicopters (Military or Civilian) to fly under a plane that is 200 feet above them as they cross paths in a landing pattern?
This kind of accident was inevitable.
They don’t want you to know it was transexual person.
The Coulter Rule on steroids.
Someone has something to hide, Im afraid this is going to turn out to be intentional..just look at the video, they do these training exercises every single day its not knew, but look at the video, the helicopter goes right behind the plane and smacks into it the moment its on water
Why, you would think they would want everyone to know the persons name so we can honor him or her
After possibly causing the death of 66 other people, do they really have that right?
Mu guess is helicopter pilot was trying to avoid another plane he/she could see with night vision goggles. Problem is night vision goggle can limit or distort vision and thus did not see the American Air plane until last second.
Probably due to the low quality of the pilot they refuse to name.
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