2:31 pm - February 23, 2025
Investigators working to determine the cause of last week’s deadly midair collision between a U.S. military Black Hawk helicopter and an American Airlines plane near Washington, D.C., provided lawmakers with preliminary findings during a Thursday briefing. A team from the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) shared data collected from both aircraft and air traffic control with members of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.Meanwhile, search teams continued to recover debris from the Potomac River, where the crash occurred near Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport. Less than 5 miles from the crash site, divers and rescue personnel pumped frigid waters to remove wreckage pieces from the disaster that claimed 67 lives on January 29. Following the briefing, some senators raised questions to the NTSB officials but did not reveal any new significant details.
官员们表示,对于这起事故的原因,目前仍有许多未知数。在riefcε检查到 wounded while diving into the icy waters of the Potomac River to retrieve pieces of the downed aircraft, and家族 members of the victims held emotional memorials to honor those who were lost. The Black Hawk helicopter, stationed at Fort Belvoir in Virginia, had been conducting a training mission when the collision occurred.
The FAA has announced plans to review other airports with high volumes of mixed helicopter and airplane traffic to identify potential risks and prevent similar accidents. Several senators expressed interest in understanding which other airports across the country experience similar congestion levels due to helicopter and commercial airline traffic. The NTSB is currently examining conflicting altitude data from multiple sources, including radar readings from Potomac TRACON and the flight data recorder of the commercial jet. The helicopter’s altitude at the time of the collision remains a critical factor in understanding the sequence of events. The NTSB has also retrieved both aircraft’s flight data and cockpit voice recorders, and maintenance records for both planes are under review. Jennifer Homendy, chair of the NTSB, emphasized the importance of transparency in the investigation and urged the public not to draw premature conclusions. A preliminary report on the crash is expected within 30 days, though the final investigation could take much longer.
The NTSB announced this week that significant pieces of the passenger jet, including its right wing, sections of the fuselage, and key flight systems, have been recovered from the Potomac River. These wreckage pieces are being transported to a secure location for a detailed examination, which will include structural damage analysis, fracture surfaces, and an assessment of the aircraft’s airworthiness. All 67 people killed in the collision have been recovered and identified, with their families holding memorials to honor their loved ones. Among the victims was Ian Epstein, a beloved American Airlines flight attendant who was remembered in a celebration of life attended by friends and colleagues. The group also included a civil rights attorney, the president-elect of the National Association of Biology Teachers, and 28 members of the U.S. Figure Skating community. Ted Cruz, a Republican senator from Texas, expressed his condolences and stressed the need to learn from the accident to prevent future tragedies.
While the NTSB continues its investigation, including syncronizing the flight data and cockpit voice recorders, the FAA has temporarily reduced flight traffic into and out of Reagan National Airport due to ongoing recovery efforts in the area. Flights are now operating on the airport’s main runway, causing delays, while runways 15-33 and 4-22 remain closed. The NTSB has also launched a light detection and ranging scan flight overnight to survey the river floor for additional debris, a move likely to aid in gathering more evidence for the investigation. Although the cause of the collision remains under scrutiny, officials have stressed the importance of avoiding premature conclusions until the full scope of the incident is understood. The Black Hawk’s advanced surveillance technology, known as ADS-B, has also raised questions, with conflicting comments from lawmakers about whether the system was active at the time of the collision.
The focus of the investigation is not only on the mechanical aspects of the crash but also on the broader aviation safety framework. The collision occurred in some of the country’s most heavily regulated airspace, despite clear skies, which has prompted questions about air traffic management and safety protocols. The NTSB has confirmed that the Black Hawk was flying at a restricted altitude of 200 feet when it collided with the commercial jet, which was approaching the airport for landing. Meanwhile, the FAA has suspended the use of most designated helicopter routes over the Potomac, a move that is likely to remain in place until the investigation is complete. As the search for answers continues, families of the victims and aviation enthusiasts alike are closely following developments in the case, hoping for clarity and closure.