New information from American Airlines crash reveals potential cause behind Black Hawk collision The crash resulted in the death of 67 people

Authorities are currently investigating the underlying cause of the American Airlines crash that occurred at the end of January.

The commercial aircraft was approaching Ronald Reagan National Airport on January 29 when it collided with a Black Hawk military helicopter.

All 64 passengers aboard the plane, as well as the three individuals on the helicopter, lost their lives.

Both aircraft fell into the Potomac River, prompting a large-scale search operation to locate survivors, which subsequently transitioned into a recovery effort for the deceased.

On February 14, National Transportation Safety Board Chairman Jennifer Homendy provided an update on the investigation into the incident.

As reported by ABC News, it appears that the helicopter crew may have received inaccurate altitude information prior to the collision with the American Airlines flight.

One pilot believed the helicopter was at 400 feet, while the other estimated it to be at 300 feet. However, the NTSB has not yet determined the precise altitude of the helicopter at the time of the impact.

Homendy stated, “We are examining the possibility of erroneous data.

“Additionally, the transmission from the control tower instructing the helicopter to position itself behind the plane may not have been received by the crew, as the pilot might have activated her radio simultaneously, interfering with the air traffic control transmission.”

Texas Senator Ted Cruz has also commented on potential issues faced by the helicopter crew prior to the crash.

In remarks to reporters earlier this month, he noted that the helicopter had its automatic dependent surveillance-broadcast (ADS-B) system deactivated.

ADS-B is one of the data sources utilized by air traffic controllers to monitor aircraft in the airspace, alongside Center Radar and Approach Radar.
Incorrect data within the helicopter may have played a role in the crash (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images).

Military aircraft are permitted to operate with this system deactivated, despite its provision of significantly more precise tracking of aircraft positions compared to the transponder, which was also installed on the Black Hawk.

According to CBS News, he remarked: “Unless there was a compelling national security reason for disabling it, that does not appear to be justified, and in this case, since it was a training mission, there was no national security rationale for turning off the ADS-B.”

Nevertheless, at that moment, Homendy added to the ambiguity by indicating that the NTSB had not yet verified the presence of an ADS-B on board.

She simply stated: “We do not have that information at this time.”