The National Transportation Safety Board said Friday that the pilots of an Army Black Hawk helicopter may not have heard warnings about an American Airlines passenger jet ahead of last month’s deadly crash.
The NTSB’s Jennifer Homendy said the tower radioed the helicopter about the circling jet two minutes before the mid-air collision. Data shows the radio transmission may not have been received by the Black Hawk’s crew. Homendy also said that seconds before the crash, the helicopter crew may not have received the tower’s message to pass behind the jet. It was also revealed during the news conference the helicopter crew may have been getting incorrect altitude readings before the crash.
Sixty-seven people died when Flight 5342 out of Wichita’s Eisenhower National Airport collided with the helicopter near Reagan National Airport on January 29th.
[ photo: NTSB ]
