The National Transportation Safety Board provided updates on its investigation into the Jan. 29 collision between a passenger jet and an Army Black Hawk helicopter at Reagan Washington National Airport, which left 67 people dead. The agency revealed that there were five people in the air traffic control tower at the time of the accident, including an operations supervisor and an operations supervisor in training. They also announced plans to have a complete transcription of the communications among the aircraft and traffic controllers available soon.
Lead investigator Brice Banning discussed the audio communications and revealed that the Black Hawk helicopter was directed to pass behind the plane, after which there was a verbal reaction from the plane crew and an increase in pitch before impact. The staffing levels in the control tower at the time of the accident were questioned, with the NTSB stating that typical staffing can vary based on factors like the day of the week and weather. The Washington Post had reported that tower staffing levels at the time were not normal.
The U.S. Army also identified Capt. Rebecca Lobach, 28, of Durham, North Carolina, as the third pilot of the Army helicopter involved in the crash. She was one of three soldiers aboard the helicopter, with the other two soldiers already identified by the Army. Investigations into the accident are ongoing, and updates will continue to be provided as the NTSB gathers more information.
