
Horrifying new video showing Black Hawk's deadly mid-air crash with American Airlines jet is played at hearing as final words of chopper pilot are revealed
The footage, captured by CCTV and played at the start of a three-day National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) hearing, shows a bright flash lighting up the night sky above the Potomac River.
Seconds earlier, the military chopper had collided with American Airlines Flight 5342 as it descended into Reagan National Airport.
The Bombardier CRJ700 had been flying from Wichita, Kansas, on January 29 and was just minutes from landing when it was hit.
All 67 people on board the two aircraft were killed, including 63 passengers and crew on the jet and four helicopter crew members, marking the deadliest US airline crash in more than two decades.
The Black Hawk, operating as Priority Air Transport 25, had been on a low-level training mission and was flying back to Fort Belvoir in Virginia.
Investigators now believe the crew thought they were flying 100 feet higher than they actually were due to faulty altimeter readings.
The NTSB revealed that about three minutes before the crash, Chief Warrant Officer Andrew Eaves told co-pilot Capt. Rebecca Lobach to 'come down for me' and fly at 200 feet because they were currently at 300 feet.
The footage was captured by CCTV and played at the start of a three-day National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) hearing
All 67 people on board the two aircraft were killed, including 63 passengers and crew on the jet and four helicopter crew members
The route down the river on which the chopper was on has a maximum altitude of 200 feet near the airport, according to the NTSB's presentation.
Two minutes before impact, air traffic control warned them about the approaching passenger plane.
A second warning followed 90 seconds later. In both times, the helicopter crew told controllers they could see the jet and asked for 'visual separation' to allow them to navigate around the flight.
The controller also told the helicopter to pass behind the passenger plane, but that instruction was not heard by the crew.
Twenty seconds before the crash, Eaves said: 'Alright, kinda come left for me ma'am, I think that's why he's asking.' Lobach replied: 'Sure.'
Eaves added: 'We're kinda out towards the middle.' Lobach responded: 'Okay fine.'
The helicopter and the jet collided at 8:48pm, causing a bright fiery flash in the night sky.
Meanwhile, in the American Airlines cockpit, the pilots used expletives when they saw the impending crash and attempted to pull the plane up just seconds before.
NTSB investigators later carried out test flights using three similar helicopters over the Potomac.
They found that downwash from the rotor blades consistently interfered with barometric altimeter readings, making it appear they were higher than they really were.
The board also heard the Black Hawk crew had been suffering from burnout, raising fresh concerns about their decision-making on the night of the crash.
Air traffic controllers have also come under scrutiny following reports that there were staffing problems at the airport on the day of the crash.
Thousands of pages of records have now been made publicly available as part of the investigations.
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


The Independent
9 hours ago
- The Independent
New recording reveals dramatic moment United flight with 200 people on board suffers engine failure
A newly-released audio recording has revealed the dramatic moment that a United Airlines flight with over 200 people on board suffered engine failure. The pilot on Munich -bound flight UA108 said his left engine had failed and he was 'declaring an emergency, mayday, mayday, mayday,' during the July 25 flight, according to cockpit and air traffic control audio. The Boeing 787-8 was carrying 219 passengers and 11 crew members when it was forced to turn around and head back to Dulles International Airport in Washington DC, United said. Following calls of 'mayday,' the pilot and air traffic control discussed plans for the plane's return, including how much fuel the aircraft would need to dump to become the proper weight for landing, according to audio posted to YouTube channel 'You can see ATC.' The tower cleared all nearby traffic for the plane's return and stayed in close contact with the pilot to ensure a safe landing. 'Speed at your discretion,' air traffic control said in the clip. 'Nobody behind you, nobody in front, sir.' Flightradar24 footage showed the Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner circling northwest of the airport before returning safely to the ground. The pilot said it would take about six minutes to adjust their weight, before traffic control guided the plane to land on the runway. While the air traffic controller guided the United flight, there was another emergency aircraft on the runway that the controller was helping, according to the video. 'Tower, United 108 Heavy, emergency, we're clear,' the pilot can be heard saying as the footage shows the plane had landed safely. The plane 'returned to Washington Dulles shortly after takeoff to address a mechanical issue,' United said in a statement to The Independent. 'The plane landed safely, and all passengers deplaned normally at the gate,' the airline continued. 'The flight was subsequently canceled and we arranged alternate travel arrangements to take customers to their destination as soon as possible.' In a statement, the Federal Aviation Administration said it was aware of engine issues on the flight and was investigating. The flight, which was supposed to depart Dulles at 5:40 p.m. EST and land at Munich International Airport at 5:40 a.m. CEST the next day, ended up leaving Dulles at 6:11 p.m. and returning by 8:49 p.m., according to data from FlightAware A spokesperson for the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority confirmed last week that the plane had experienced a mechanical issue. 'The plane landed safely, was checked by Airports Authority Fire and Rescue personnel, then towed to a gate,' the spokesperson said. 'There was no disruption to other flights.' The mechanical issue occurred as Boeing has faced scrutiny following the recent Air India crash in Ahmedabad, where the Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner experienced a severe engine malfunction soon after take-off. The incident saw the London-bound flight plummet to the ground just minutes after taking off and killing all but one of the 242 people onboard, along with several others inside the buildings struck by the aircraft.


The Independent
15 hours ago
- The Independent
Flames and smoke force passengers to flee New York City area train
Flames leapt from the rails of a New York City area commuter train on Monday morning and smoke filled at least one car as passengers evacuated, according to authorities and video captured by a passenger. A roughly 30-second video posted to social media showed thick smoke on a Port Authority Trans-Hudson train car at the Newport station in Jersey City, New Jersey. People can be heard on the video saying 'open the door,' and 'easy, easy,' as they eventually disembark. The video then shows bright orange flames rising nearly to the top of the train car from the rails. The fire started at 6:19 a.m. on an eastbound train, and passengers were evacuated to the platform, the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, which operates the train, said in a statement. Thirteen people were treated for smoke inhalation at the scene, nine of whom were transported to the hospital for further evaluation, the Port Authority said. The incident is being investigated, it added. The PATH trains conduct an average of about 165,000 passenger trips daily across the Hudson River from northern New Jersey into Manhattan.


Daily Mail
15 hours ago
- Daily Mail
7 fast-food chains that use real cheese
Cheese can elevate a basic sandwich or burger into something crave-worthy – especially when it's made with minimal ingredients and little processing. Whether it's rich cheddar, mellow Swiss, or creamy Pepper Jack, real cheese adds irresistible flavor and texture. While some menu items call for processed cheese like American, there's no substitute for the real thing. These seven fast-food chains are known for using real cheese in their menu items. 1. Wendy's Wendy's incorporates real cheese in several of its offerings, including the Spicy Asiago Ranch Chicken Club, which features Asiago cheese. 'Over the years, we've used smoked gouda, blue cheese, asiago and feta on hamburgers, chicken sandwiches and salads. Fresh mozzarella is the latest evolution of delivering fresh cheese to customers,' the company said when they launched the BelGioioso cheese on their menu in 2017. 2. Chick-fil-A At Chick-fil-A, sandwiches like the Spicy Deluxe come topped with real Pepper Jack cheese. 'Spicy deluxe is truly one of the best things in life' one fan said. Another commented: 'I always get their spicy chicken with pepper jack cheese. It's a good combination.' 3. Shake Shack 4. Freddy's 5. Burger King Burger King uses real Swiss cheese on its Bacon Swiss Royal Crispy Chicken sandwich. 'It's one of the best non-Whopper items on the menu' one fan says. 'Prefer it in Fiery form but the bacon/swiss one is good, too. And the crispy wraps are worth a try, too. Honey Mustard is the best of the 3, IMO.' 6. Popeyes 7. Carl's Jr.