This raises the issue of whether the pilots saw the helicopter at the last second. Todd Inman, an NTSB investigator, said,
“I can tell you at one point very close to the impact, there was a slight change in pitch, an increase in pitch.” Sadly, however, this last-minute move was insufficient to avert catastrophe.
According to the New York Times, flight data recorders reveal that the crash happened between 300 and 350 feet above the earth, which is a key level.
When the Black Hawk chopper was flying more than 100 feet over the permitted altitude. READ MORE: The third soldier killed in the American Airlines accident is identified by the US Army
In order to prevent interfering with commercial jets entering and exiting the crowded airspace, helicopters flying close to Reagan National Airport must adhere.
