The Black Hawk helicopter involved in a collision with an American Airlines plane had been warned twice by air traffic control about the aircraft’s presence, with the first alert coming at least two minutes before the tragic incident, according to a report by The New York Post.
Aviation experts analyzed radio transmissions from the mid-air collision that resulted in the deaths of 64 passengers aboard the commercial flight and three soldiers in the helicopter. The Washington Post noted that a soldier aboard the Black Hawk had requested “visual separation,” meaning the helicopter crew believed they could safely maintain distance from the plane they had in sight. Air traffic control approved the request on both occasions.
At approximately 8:48 p.m., just 12 seconds after the second alert from the control tower, the helicopter and the passenger plane collided. According to aviation specialists who reviewed the recorded communications, these alerts indicate that the helicopter crew had ample time to adjust course and avoid the collision. However, experts suggest the crew may have been focused on another aircraft in their field of vision rather than the American Airlines plane they ultimately struck.
“If he was looking at the right airplane, he wouldn’t have hit him,” retired National Transportation Safety Board investigator Scott Dunham told The Washington Post. “They were miles apart. … The resolution literally takes seconds.”
Flight data revealed that another plane was located behind the American Airlines aircraft, positioned about 11 miles away from the Black Hawk. Dunham explained that differentiating between the two planes may have been challenging at night, particularly if the second aircraft appeared visually similar to the American Airlines flight arriving from Wichita.
