Yasin Gungor
02 February 2025•Update: 02 February 2025
ISTANBUL
Preliminary investigations into the Jan. 29 midair collision near Reagan National Airport in Washington, DC, have uncovered conflicting altitude data Saturday between the two aircraft involved, according to officials.
The crash, which killed a total of 67 people onboard an American Airlines jet and a US Army Black Hawk helicopter, has raised questions about flight path adherence and operational errors.
Data from the jet’s flight recorder indicated it was flying at approximately 325 feet (99 meters), plus or minus 25 feet, at the time of impact, said investigators from the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB).
Radar data from the control tower, meanwhile, showed the helicopter at 200 feet, the maximum altitude allowed for the designated flight corridor.
The nearly unexplained 100-foot discrepancy is a key focus of the investigation led by the NTSB.
Officials are working to reconcile the conflicting readings and retrieve data from the helicopter’s black box.
"That's what our job is, to figure that out," said Todd Inman, NTSB board member, during a news conference.
Investigators are examining whether the chopper deviated from its approved flight path and if any operational errors contributed to the collision.
Army reveals 3rd soldier killed in helicopter
The US Army identified the third victim Saturday of the crash as Capt. Rebecca M. Lobach, 28, from the state of North Carolina.
Lobach, an aviation officer assigned to the 12th Aviation Battalion at Fort Belvoir, Virginia, had served since July 2019, it said.
Her awards included the Army Commendation Medal and Army Achievement Medal.
The Army earlier revealed the identities of two others killed in the helicopter.
Staff Sgt. Ryan Austin O’Hara, 28, of Lilburn, Georgia and Chief Warrant Officer 2 Andrew Loyd Eaves, 39, of Great Mills, Maryland, were identified as victims of the crash.
