US authorities determined that regional plane of American Airlines involved in tragic accident From January 29, it flew to an altitude of approximately 99 meters, with a 7.6 meter error margin, at the time of colliding with a helicopter Black Hawk of the United States Army. This collision, which left a balance of 67 fatalities between passengers and crew, becoming the most lethal air disaster in the United States in more than two decades.
According to The Wall Street Journal, The accident led to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to temporarily close two of the shortest tracks of the Ronald Reagan Washington National Airportwhile the search and recovery work continues. A FAA spokeswoman indicated that these clues will remain disabled until February 10. Among the closed tracks is that in which the plane tried to land before impacting with the military helicopter.
In addition to the closure of the tracks, the Department of Transportation implemented new restrictions for helicopter flights in the immediate vicinity of the airport. As detailed The Wall Street Journalthese measures prohibit the overflow of helicopters in specific areas, such as the Potomac River and the upper area of the airport. However, exceptions for emergency operations, such as medical missions, air defense activities, presidential transport or actions of order forces have been established.
The National Transport Security Board (NTSB)in collaboration with the Pentagonleads the investigation to clarify the causes of the accident. As reported CNNresearchers have recovered Black boxes both of the plane as of helicopter. These flight and voice data recorders are fundamental to determine the events prior to collision. The NTSB He expressed confidence that they can extract key information from these devices.
The NTSB Board member, Todd Inman, said that data on the altitude of the helicopter is still being collected at the time of the impact, as well as on the information that air controllers in the tower of the tower airport They had available. Inman described the accident as “the worst nightmare of a controller.”
The NTSB He has indicated that his research will cover three main areas: the human factor, the conditions of the machines and the environment in which the accident occurred. The president of the Board, Jennifer Homendystressed that the objective is to determine the probable causes of the shock, without ruling out any hypotheses in this initial stage.
As reported CNNresearchers have begun to interview air traffic control personnel, a process that will run for several days and will be key to crossing the information obtained from black boxes with communication records between aircraft and the control tower. In addition, it is expected that the first analysis of flight registrars can offer preliminary details about the altitude and trajectory of both aerial vehicles as soon as this Saturday.
Another aspect under analysis is whether the military helicopter pilot was wearing a night vision team at the time of the accident. While the investigations advance, the Ronald Reagan Airport He continues to operate with his longest and busiest track, which allows to maintain some aerial activity. However, temporary restrictions and closures have generated adjustments in daily operations, affecting both airlines and passengers.
This tragic event, the deadliest in more than 20 years in the country, has revealed the importance of strengthening security measures in airports and airspace, especially in areas with high traffic density. The aeronautical community and federal authorities now face the challenge of implementing changes that guarantee flight safety and prevent future tragedies.
