Helicopter Pilot in D.C. Crash Was Not in Medical Distress: Report

• A brand new investigation into the American Airways crash performed by The New York Instances discovered that the crew aboard the Military Black Hawk helicopter was not affected by any impairment
• “There is no indication that [Capt. Rebecca Lobach] was suffering from health issues at the time or that a medical event affected her during those final moments,” the report acknowledged
• American Airways flight 5342 was making ready to land in Washington, D.C., when the army plane collided with the aircraft

A brand new report into the Jan. 29 midair collision between an American Airways passenger jet and a U.S. Military Black Hawk helicopter discovered that the captain who was flying the army plane was not impaired.

The New York Times — utilizing dozens of data and interviews with aviation specialists — reported in an April 27 investigative story that whereas there may be nonetheless no reply as to precisely why the crew on board the Black Hawk continued flying towards the airplane, they weren’t medically impaired.

“There is no indication that [Capt. Rebecca Lobach] was suffering from health issues at the time or that a medical event affected her during those final moments aboard the Black Hawk, according to friends and people familiar with the crash investigation, which included autopsies and performance log reviews,” the outlet reported.

The newspaper additionally reported that it appeared a number of errors have been made by the Black Hawk crew, which additionally included Chief Warrant Officer 2 Andrew Loyd Eaves and Workers Sgt. Ryan Austin O’Hara.

“Some of the controller’s instructions were ‘stepped on’ — meaning that they cut out when the helicopter crew pressed a microphone to speak — and important information likely went unheard,” the Instances reported.

The outlet reported that Lobach did not comply with a route from the co-pilot, an Military flight teacher, to alter course. Moreover, one function that will permit controllers to raised monitor the helicopter had been turned off, attributable to Military protocol, which referred to as for pilots to show off the setting when practising how you can secretly fly authorities officers.

The Instances additionally reported aviation specialists imagine that the controller didn’t subject “clear, urgent instructions to the Black Hawk to avert the crash.”

The Federal Aviation Administration advised the Instances in an announcement that it couldn’t talk about “any aspect” of the still-ongoing investigation, which is being led by the Nationwide Transportation Security Board. The NTSB added that it will launch their last report on the causes of the crash by early 2026.

Brig. Gen. Matthew Braman, the Military’s director of aviation, additionally advised the outlet that he believes investigators will discover that quite a lot of issues contributed to the deadly crash.

“I believe what we’ll discover in the long run is there have been a number of issues that, had any one among them modified, it may have nicely modified the result of that night,” Braman mentioned.

Simply earlier than 9 p.m. on Jan. 29, the American Airways flight 5342 was making ready to land in Washington, D.C., after a visit from Wichita, Kansas, when the army plane collided with the aircraft close to Reagan Nationwide Airport.

The fiery crash despatched each aircrafts plummeting into the Potomac River, and 67 folks have been killed within the historic catastrophe.

Plenty of components that will have contributed to the crash have been already identified previous to the Instances‘ report.

Officers mentioned the helicopter was flying far too excessive throughout a routine night time mission and had been twice warned in regards to the jet, which was instructed just some minutes earlier than touchdown to modify runways.

NTSB member Todd Inman advised reporters on Feb. 1 that air site visitors management twice alerted the helicopter to the bigger passenger jet, together with about two minutes earlier than the collision, when the helicopter was advised that the aircraft could be touchdown at Runway 33.

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Air site visitors management staffing ranges have been additionally reportedly decrease than they usually would have been. And on the final second, the passenger aircraft pulled up — as if attempting to avert disaster. One controller was dealing with each aircraft and helicopter site visitors, relatively than two folks dividing the job, as a result of somebody left early, in accordance a earlier report from the Times.

Moreover, Protection Secretary Pete Hegseth beforehand mentioned that the helicopter had night time imaginative and prescient goggles with them on what he referred to as an “annual proficiency training flight.” These goggles could have impaired their imaginative and prescient at a well-lit airport resembling Reagan.