Flight tracking data from the moments before the fatal midair collision on Wednesday night appears to show the Black Hawk helicopter was flying 100 feet above the maximum allowed altitude and was veering off the prescribed route along the east side of the Potomac River.
Just two minutes before the midair collision, flight tracking data shows the military helicopter at 200 feet as it crossed over East Potomac Park, which is the maximum allowed altitude along the helicopter route known as Route 1.
As the Black Hawk flew over the Potomac River, flight tracking data indicates it climbed from 200 feet to 300 feet, placing it closer to the airport and higher than it should have been. The helicopter remained at that altitude until seconds before the crash, when flight tracking data shows a rapid descent back down to 200 feet.
At the same time, the Black Hawk also appears to turn toward the center of the river, according to flight tracking data, which would have been a deviation from the standard route hugging the east bank of the Potomac River.
The helicopter’s turns would have put the military helicopter closer to Washington’s Reagan National Airport than the standard route as the American Airlines regional jet was nearing the airport.
“Based on the data we’re able to see, I think that’s a fair assessment,” said Ian Petchenik, spokesperson for FlightRadar24, a flight tracking company.
Petchenik cautioned that the flight tracking data for the Black Hawk is imperfect. The military helicopter was sending a Mode S signal, which transmits basic data about altitude and aircraft identification.
The American Airlines flight was broadcasting an ADS-B signal, which provides far more information to air traffic control.
“ADS-B is worlds beyond the standard Mode S data. Mode S data allows you to have just a few bits of information,” Petchenik told CNN.
A full understanding of the moments before the midair collision will require a complete analysis of the black boxes on board the aircraft, but even an incomplete picture indicates the helicopter was not in the right position.
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