A U.S. Army Black Hawk helicopter involved in a fatal collision with an American Airlines jet in Washington, DC, was flying nearly 100 feet above its maximum permitted altitude, according to flight data. The crash, which occurred on January 29, left no survivors.
The Black Hawk, traveling along a restricted route near East Potomac Park, deviated from protocol by climbing to 300 feet before colliding with the jet. Audio suggests the pilot was aware of the jet but requested visual separation shortly before impact.
The NTSB is investigating and has recovered the airliner’s black boxes. Staffing shortages in the air traffic control tower may have contributed to the crash.
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