According to the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), the Army Black Hawk helicopter involved in the tragic accident on Jan. 29 that led to the death of 67 individuals was flying at an altitude that exceeded the permitted limit.
The NTSB revealed that flight data analysis indicated the Black Hawk was flying at 300 feet as shown on the air traffic control system during the time of the collision. This altitude was 100 feet higher than the maximum altitude of 200 feet allowed for helicopters operating in the National Capital Region.
Since the data was rounded to the nearest 100 feet, officials need additional information to verify data points from the Black Hawk.
That will require recovering the aircraft from the water, which is slated to happen later this week.
Investigators searched through Black Hawk wreckage for the combined FDR and CVR. (NTSB)
Efforts to retrieve wreckage from the Potomac River are ongoing, and recent findings include various parts of the PSA Airlines CRJ700 airliner. The recovered components include the right wing, center fuselage, sections of the left wing and left fuselage, significant portions of the forward cabin and cockpit, as well as the vertical and horizontal stabilizers, tail cone, rudder, elevators, TCAS computer, and quick access recorder.
The recovered wreckage will be moved to a secure location for a wreckage layout examination.
A police boat patrols the water and guards the crime scene after an American Airlines plane collided in midair with a military helicopter and crashed into the Potomac River in Washington, D.C. United States on January 30, 2025. (Kyle Mazza/Anadolu via Getty Images)
“The aircraft systems group continues to review maintenance paperwork for the CRJ700 and the helicopter airworthiness group continues to review maintenance records for the Black Hawk,” according to the NTSB.
As of Tuesday, the bodies of all 67 identified victims were pulled from the river.
Fox News Digital’s Andrea Margolis and Rick Eggleston contributed to this story.
