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A BAD radio frequency may have caused the horrific mid-air crash between a passenger plane and a military helicopter that killed 67, the National Transportation Safety Board has announced.
After analyzing data pulled from the bottom of the Potomac River, the NTSB was able to give a full timeline of the moments leading up to the crash.
NTSB Chair Jennifer Homendy held a press conference on Friday and revealed what she believes may have caused the deadliest crash since November 2001.
She said the Black Hawk didn’t receive a crucial control message that was sent out just 17 seconds before it slammed into the American Airlines flight.
The Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport air traffic controller issued an urgent warning to the Black Hawk pilot that a passenger plane was circling the runway.
However, once the NTSB pulled the data from the Black Hawk, they heard the message was muffled and had cut at the word “circling.”
Seconds before this, the air traffic controller had also begged the Black Hawk to “pass behind” the American plane, but the helicopter pilot may not have heard it.
Homendy said they’re still investigating the apparent discrepancy, including whether the data they pulled from the water had been damaged.
HORROR TRAGEDY
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth initially said an “elevation issue” with the US Army-operated helicopter’s training mission led to the fiery explosion.
Washington DC’s ink-black waters and frigid temperatures left passengers with little chance of survival, as first responders quickly realized the rescue mission was a recovery operation.
According to now-disturbing flight records, the Black Hawk was cruising through “helicopter alley,” which earned its name from being a pre-approved route for Army missions.
Children, world-class athletes, and a group of hunting buddies were all on the plane that came crashing into a deadly spiral.
A large portion of the flight from Wichita, Kansas, was coming from the US National Championships for ice skating.
Teen skaters Jinna Han and Spencer Lane boarded the plane with their mothers and their coaches – Russian couple Evgenia Shishkova and Vadim Naumov.
Little sisters Alydia and Everly Livingston, who were 11 and 14 years old, were also on the doomed flight.
Another victim, 30-year-old Kiah Duggins, was a former Miss Kansas contestant and Harvard Law graduate who previously worked as an intern for Michelle Obama.
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