Army's Head of Aviation, Who Faced Questions over Deadly Midair Collision, Has New Role
WASHINGTON — The U.S. Army’s head of aviation has changed jobs to become chief of the branch’s enterprise marketing office, a move that comes before the National Transportation Safety Board holds hearings next week on January’s midair collision between an Army helicopter and a commercial jet that killed 67 people. Brig. Gen. Matthew Braman became […]
Families of Those Killed in Black Hawk Collision with Jet Want More 'Openness, Compassion' from Army
Family members who lost loved ones when a passenger jet and an Army Black Hawk helicopter collided midair in Washington, D.C., in January said in a letter that Army leadership is failing to take accountability and be transparent with those who are still mourning from the tragedy. The letter, posted publicly Wednesday, is addressed to […]
Virginia National Guard Pilot Wrongly Identified as Involved in DC Midair Collision Sues for Defamation
Army National Guard UH-60 Black Hawk pilot Jo Ellis listened attentively to the breaking news the evening of Jan. 29 that a helicopter had struck an American Airlines jet over the Potomac River near Washington, D.C., killing all aboard both aircraft. The next day, Ellis, who is transgender, was alarmed to hear Defense Secretary Pete […]
Army Adjusts Tracker Policy and Flight Training Following January Collision with Passenger Jet
WASHINGTON — The Army has made changes to how its helicopters use a safety system that broadcasts aircraft location and has reduced the number of flights over Washington following a collision with a passenger jet that killed 67 people, the head of Army aviation told The Associated Press on Tuesday. Investigators are still determining why […]
Congress Questions the FAA, US Army and NTSB over Deadly Midair Collision in DC
If investigators were able to quickly find alarming data about the number of close calls in the years before the midair collision over the nation’s capital that killed 67 people in January, then aviation safety regulators should have seen the problem, the head of the National Transportation Safety Board told Congress on Thursday. NTSB Chairwoman […]
Helicopter Route Permanently Closed After Deadly Black Hawk Collision with Plane
WASHINGTON — Helicopters will be permanently restricted from flying near Washington, D.C.’s airport on the same route where a passenger jet and an Army helicopter collided in midair, killing 67 people, the Federal Aviation Administration said Friday. The move comes just days after federal investigators looking into the cause of the crash recommended a ban […]
Route Used by Army Black Hawk During Deadly Collision Was Far Too Risky, Safety Officials Say
Federal crash investigators have said a helicopter route used by an Army Black Hawk for training when it crashed midair with a passenger aircraft over Washington, D.C., in late January, killing all aboard, poses a major aviation risk and called for immediate changes. National Transportation Safety Board Chair Jennifer Homendy told reporters Tuesday afternoon that […]
Investigators Say Black Hawk Altitude Gauges May Have Been Inaccurate Prior to Deadly DC Airplane Collision
A three-person Army Black Hawk helicopter crew may not have received accurate altitude readings in their cockpit or an important transmission from air traffic control before the deadly crash with a passenger aircraft over Washington, D.C., late last month, according to investigators. During a press conference Friday afternoon, National Transportation Safety Board Chair Jennifer Homendy […]
Black Hawk in Deadly Collision May Have Turned Off Location Monitor, But Trump Blames Air Traffic Control System
President Donald Trump on Thursday blamed the deadly collision of a passenger jet and Army helicopter last week on what he called an “obsolete” computer system used by U.S. air traffic controllers. He vowed to replace it after NTSB officials told members of Congress that advanced surveillance technology available on the helicopter was turned off. […]
Investigators Examine Altitude Data in Black Hawk and Passenger Jet Collision
ARLINGTON, Va. — The remains of all 67 victims of last week’s midair collision of an American Airlines flight and an Army helicopter near the nation’s capital have been recovered, authorities said Tuesday. All but one has been identified. Meanwhile the NTSB said it was examining new data that could put the helicopter above its […]