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 […]
Crews Return to the Potomac River to Recover Wreckage from DC Midair Collision
ARLINGTON, Va. — Crews were on the scene on the Potomac River on Monday to retrieve the submerged wreckage of an airliner and an Army helicopter that collided midair in the deadliest U.S. air disaster since 2001. Authorities have recovered and identified 55 of the 67 people killed in the crash and Washington, D.C., Fire […]
Midair Collision Draws Attention to Military Helicopter Training and Previous Accidents
To learn to fly a military helicopter is to take a master class in multitasking. You need both hands and both feet to control the aircraft while keeping a close eye on the horizon and your altitude. If it’s nighttime and you’re flying low, you may be scanning the ground for familiar landmarks using night-vision […]
Final Soldier Killed in Black Hawk Collision Identified as Family, Friends Grieve
The Army on Saturday identified a pilot who was among three soldiers who died when their Black Hawk helicopter collided with a passenger airplane over Washington, D.C., this week, after the service initially withheld the name at the request of the family amid online speculation over her identity. Capt. Rebecca Lobach, 28, of Durham, North […]
Governors Identify 2 Soldiers Killed in Black Hawk Collision While Third Name Withheld by Service
Two of the three soldiers who were killed Wednesday when their Black Hawk helicopter collided with a passenger airline have been identified by service and public officials, but the Army on Friday withheld the name of the third service member amid online speculation of the identity. Chief Warrant Officer Andrew Eaves, 39, of Great Mills, […]
3 Army Soldiers Killed in Tragic Collision with Passenger Plane Near DC Airport
Three unidentified Army soldiers died after their Black Hawk helicopter collided with a passenger flight over Washington, D.C., on Wednesday night during an annual training exercise, according to the Pentagon. The UH-60 helicopter was from Bravo Company, 12th Aviation Battalion, out of Fort Belvoir, Virginia, Heather Chairez, a Joint Task Force North-National Capital Region spokesperson, […]
Soldier Killed in Alaska Base Collision Identified
The U.S. Army has identified the 11th Airborne Division soldier killed in a collision late Sunday on Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in Alaska as Pfc. Arath Esau Martinez-Arguelles, 20, of Sherman Oaks, California. Martinez-Arguelles, a wheeled-vehicle mechanic with the 6th Brigade Engineer Battalion, 2nd Infantry Brigade Combat Team (Airborne), joined the Army in June 2022, Army […]