Astonishing Aviation Blunder Black Hawk Helicopter Made Moments Before it Crashed into DC Plane Revealed in Probe Report
Pilots behind the Black Hawk helicopter involved in the crash are said to have made a deadly mistake.
Feb. 5 2025, Published 4:35 p.m. ET
The Black Hawk helicopter which crashed into American Airlines Flight 5342 made a crucial – and deadly – mistake it has since been discovered.
On Tuesday, authorities confirmed the chopper was flying 100 feet too high, breaking the strict protocol altitudes they can safely reach, RadarOnline.com can reveal.
The investigation of the shocking DC crash is still ongoing.
Information from an air traffic control radar now shows the Black Hawk was flying between 251 feet and 349 feet of elevation, according to the National Transport Safety Board(NTSB) – the plane was at 325 feet at the time of the crash.
Brice Banning, the NTSB investigator in charge, explained: "This is a complex investigation. There are a lot of pieces here. Our team is working hard to gather this data."
Banning also revealed the final moments of the American Airlines jet's two black boxes.
All 67 victims have been recovered a week after the crash.
He said: "The crew had a verbal reaction. Sounds of impact were audible about one second later, followed by the end of the recording."
The pilots on the passenger plane are said to have attempted to save all passengers aboard with a last-minute maneuver. According to preliminary data from the flight's recorder, Captain Jonathan Campos and his First Officer Samuel Lilley tried to pull the jet's nose up just moments before the chopper crashed into it, with both aircraft falling into the Potomac River.
All 64 people aboard the jet, as well as the three on the helicopter, died in the crash. Every victim's bodies have since been recovered.
First Officer Samuel Lilley flew the doomed American Airlines flight alongside Captain Jonathan Campos.
While a reason behind the crash has yet to be made official, author and aviation journalist Jeff Wise put the blame on the chopper's pilots – one of which was Captain Rebecca Lobach – in a piece for New York Magazine just 48 hours following the tragedy.
"When air accidents happen, it's important not to rush to judgement," he wrote, but added, "A lot is unknown, but one basic fact is not: The helicopter pilot was at fault."
Wise said: "It was quite clearly the Army Black Hawk helicopter that was not where it was supposed to be.
"While it may be the case that the tower was not properly staffed or that the airport's resources are chronically overtaxed, neither of these things played a role in the crash that took the lives of 67 passengers and crew."
President Donald Trump has shared his bizarre theories for the crash, blaming diversity initiatives.
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Users on Instagram were quick to bash the claims as one person raged: "Can everyone take a step back and let them figure this out-like professionally? The experts? And please don’t disparage the helicopter pilot-was a human and died-this is tragic. Why has America turned into the blame game..."
Another said: ": "Shame on you NY Mag. Not only is this contradictory but you do not have the qualifications to make this assertion. There are many elements involved here, please report responsibly."
Meanwhile, President Donald Trump previously blamed diversity initiatives for the crash, and even called out former presidents Joe Biden and Barack Obama.
"I put safety first. Obama, Biden and the Democrats put policy first," the 78-year-old bizarrely said in a conference at the White House.
