NTSB Sets Hearing on Fatal Jet-Helicopter Collision Over Potomac
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) will hold a three-day investigative hearing into the deadly January 29 collision between a regional jet and a U.S. Army Black Hawk helicopter near Reagan National Airport.
The hearings are scheduled for July 30 through August 1.
The crash claimed the lives of all 65 people on board the two aircraft — 60 passengers, two pilots, and two flight attendants aboard American Airlines Flight 5342, as well as the three-member Army helicopter crew. The collision occurred over the Potomac River.
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy described conditions that night as clear, with both aircraft flying in “standard flight patterns.” He said the tragedy appeared preventable but stressed his confidence in the overall safety of U.S. air travel.
Flight 5342, operated by PSA Airlines — a wholly owned subsidiary of American Airlines Group — was en route to Charlotte. The Army helicopter, based in Virginia, was on a routine training mission at the time of the accident, according to the military.
In the immediate aftermath of the crash, Reagan National Airport imposed a temporary ground stop on all arriving and departing flights.
The NTSB said the upcoming hearings aim to gather additional facts and determine what led to the collision.
For more information on the investigation, click here.
NTSB Sets Hearing on Fatal Jet-Helicopter Collision Over Potomac was originally published on wolbbaltimore.com
