Investigators revealed Saturday that preliminary data from the fatal American Airlines jet and U.S. Army helicopter crash near Washington, DC, on Wednesday showed conflicting readings regarding the crafts’ altitudes.
The news comes after the midair crash that happened near Reagan National Airport when the jet, carrying 60 passengers and four crew members, collided with the Blackhawk helicopter that was carrying three military personnel, per Breitbart News. There were no survivors in the tragedy.
“Investigators also said that about a second before impact, the jet’s flight recorder showed a change in its pitch. But they did not say whether that change in angle meant that pilots were trying to perform an evasive maneuver to avoid the crash,” the Associated Press (AP) reported on Saturday.
“Data from the jet’s flight recorder showed its altitude as 325 feet (99 meters), plus or minus 25 feet (7.6 meters), when the crash happened Wednesday night, National Transportation Safety Board officials told reporters,” the outlet said. “Data in the control tower, though, showed the Black Hawk helicopter at 200 feet (61 meters) at the time.” The report noted there is still no answer regarding the approximately 100-foot discrepancy.
“Investigators hope to reconcile the altitude differences with data from the helicopter’s black box, which is taking more time to retrieve because it became waterlogged after it plunged into the Potomac River,” the article said. “They also said they plan to refine the tower data, which can be less reliable.”
While crews have begun removing the wreckage from the crash site in the Potomac River, victims’ loved ones recently gathered to mourn those lost at the site:
The bodies of fifty-five of the 67 victims who died in the tragedy have been recovered, NPR reported on Sunday.
“It’s my belief that we’re going to recover everyone,” D.C. Fire Chief John Donnelly said.
According to the NPR article, divers are still searching the river for the 12 missing victims.
