Preliminary data showed conflicting readings about the altitudes of an airliner and Army helicopter when they collided near Reagan National Airport in Washington, killing 67 people, investigators said Saturday.
Data from the jet’s flight recorder showed its altitude as 325 feet, plus or minus 25 feet, when the crash happened Wednesday night, National Transportation Safety Board officials told reporters. Data in the control tower, though, showed the Black Hawk helicopter at 200 feet at the time. The discrepancy has yet to be explained.
Investigators hope to reconcile the altitude differences with data from the helicopter’s black box, which is taking more time to retrieve because it was waterlogged. They also said they plan to refine the tower data, which can be less reliable.
“That’s what our job is, to figure that out,” said NTSB member Todd Inman, who grew agitated with reporters’ questions seeking more information and clarity about the readings during a Saturday evening news conference.
He acknowledged that there was dissension within the investigative team about whether to release the information or wait until they had more data.
There were no survivors on either aircraft. The collision occurred as an American Airlines flight from Wichita, Kan., carrying 60 passengers and four crew members was preparing to land at Reagan National Airport, just across the Potomac River from the nation’s capital, and hit an Army Black Hawk helicopter that apparently flew into the jet’s path. Three soldiers were on board the helicopter.
“This is a complex investigation,” said Brice Banning, NTSB investigator in charge. “There are a lot of pieces here. Our team is working hard to gather this data.”
The remains of 42 people had been pulled from the river by Saturday afternoon, including 38 that had been positively identified, Washington emergency officials said. They expect to recover all of the remains, though the wreckage of the plane’s fuselage will probably have to be pulled from the water to get all the bodies.
Army officials have said the helicopter crew was highly experienced, and familiar with the congested skies around the city. Military aircraft frequently make such flights to practice routes they would use if key government officials need to be evacuated during an attack or major catastrophe.
Investigators are examining the actions of the military pilot and air traffic control. Full NTSB investigations typically take at least a year, though investigators hope to have a preliminary report within 30 days. Hundreds of responders were taking part in the recovery effort, officials said.
With the nation already grieving the collision, an air ambulance plane slammed into a busy intersection in a crowded Philadelphia neighborhood Friday night, killing all six people on board, including a child who had just undergone treatment at a hospital and at least one person on the ground. At least three people remained hospitalized Saturday with injuries, though officials said it could be days until the full toll of the dead and injured is clear.
Lauer writes for the Associated Press.