A risky flying manoeuvre, a series of miscommunications, and ignoring her co-pilot’s warnings led to the Black Hawk helicopter crashing into an American Airlines flight over the Potomac River in the US – resulting in the deaths of 67 people aboard, including all three members of the chopper – according to a report by The New York Times.
The helicopter was flying at 278 feet, way above its permissible limit of 200 feet, while the plane – flying at an altitude of 313 feet – was heading towards runway 33 at the Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport in Virginia when they collided mid-air at an altitude of about 300 feet at 8:48 pm (local time) on January 29, 2025.
“Not only was the Black Hawk flying too high, but in the final seconds before the crash, its pilot failed to heed a directive from her co-pilot, an Army flight instructor, to change course,” read the NYT report.
The report further blames the air traffic controller for lacking both clarity and urgency in its communication with the chopper.
Additionally, Captain Rebecca Lobach failed to follow her co-pilot and instructor Andrew Eaves’s order of turning left in a bid to avoid the descending aircraft. However, she failed to heed to his instructions, just 15 seconds before the crash.
The crash has also put additional focus on a flying manoeuvre – known as visual separation – which was deployed by the chopper, which was on an army training mission to take government officials to safety in case of an attack. Visual separation is often seen as a technique used by small aircraft and choppers to evacuate top government officials in case of an emergency.
As per the report, the visual separation technique was not executed properly. In visual separation, the pilot assumes the responsibility of detecting and steering clear of nearby air traffic rather than only depending on radar separation using radar surveillance – which is used to maintain a safe distance between aircrafts in a bid to avoid any collision.
The practice has its limitations – poor visibility and limited range of vision from the cockpit, among others. Hence, it is allowed only under controlled conditions.
In air traffic control, visual separation means that air traffic controllers use the fact that pilots can see each other and their own aircraft to ensure that they are kept apart, rather than relying solely on radar separation. This method is used in controlled airspace, especially during approaches and departures, when visual separation is deemed safe.
Roughly two minutes before the crash, the air traffic controller had given the chopper permission for visual separation. From that moment on, the chopper had to rely more on its own visuals than on air control’s instructions to avoid any collisions.
According to the report, the radio communications between the pilots and the controller broke down.
20 seconds before the crash, the air-traffic controller asked if the chopper had spotted the American Airlines approaching.
That was the last recorded communication between the chopper and the air-traffic controller.
The chopper and the aircraft collided shortly after, resulting in one of the worst crashes in US aviation history.
About The Author
