Flight 5342: NTSB Finds Altitude Data Discrepancies

DALLAS — The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) continues its investigation into the fatal midair collision between an American Airlines (AA) CRJ-700 regional jet and a U.S. Army Black Hawk helicopter near Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (CDA). 

According to the NTSB, there are substantial differences in altimeter readings from various sources. The CRJ-700 flight recorder depicted an altitude reading for the aircraft as 325 feet, whereas it had an uncertainty of plus-minus 25 feet. 

Conversely, the control tower's data stated the Black Hawk's altitude at 200 feet. Since readings taken by a control tower are mostly approximate, the NTSB could obtain more accurate information from the Black Hawk's black box, which sustained water damage as the helicopter plunged into the Potomac River.

In addition to the black box data, the NTSB investigation will consider eyewitness accounts and recorded communications to determine whether two aircraft were on a collision course. NTSB investigator Brice Banning said this case is too complex and has been analyzed in detail since then. 

Multiple factors, such as air traffic control directives, pilot decision-making, and possible mechanical failures, must be considered.

Final Moments Before the Crash

Data from the CRJ-700 flight show how the pilots reacted seconds before impact. The cockpit voice recorder indicates that at this moment, the flight crew was alerted to the helicopter and initiated evasive action by raising the aircraft pitch. Still, nothing could stop the collision. An impact sound is present one second after before the data abruptly terminates.

The aircraft, carrying 64 passengers and crew, could not complete its final approach from Wichita, Kansas due to the Black Hawk reportedly flying off its assigned track with three soldiers on board during a training mission.

According to an earlier New York Times report, the helicopter may have been flying higher than usual during the crash.

Recovery Efforts, Identification of Victims

Rescue and salvage operations have been going on ever since the crash, where teams work through the clock to take out bodies and airplane rubble from the Potomac River. To date, 55 victims have been recovered, identified, and their bodies taken on board. 

As of Sunday February 2, efforts were still ongoing to find the remaining bodies believed to be trapped inside the fuselage submerged in the plane. Salvage barges, or cranes, will start lifting out the airplane wreckage from the river on Monday morning.

Among the victims were passengers as young as 11 years old, union workers, and foreign nationals from the Philippines and China. The tragedy has left a profound impact on families and communities across multiple nations as investigators work to determine the sequence of events that led to the fatal collision.

Next Steps in the Investigation

According to the NTSB, the investigation will take a few months, but preliminary findings may be reported in the next couple of weeks. The final report will likely be released within more than a year with a complete crash analysis.

The analysis of both aircraft's radar data, cockpit voice recordings, and maintenance records will continue. The collision will also be simulated to understand the accident's dynamics better.

Further, the families of the deceased have been assured that they will be informed throughout the investigation. Meanwhile, aviation safety officials have promised to implement all NTSB's final report recommendations to avoid future catastrophes.

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