Ground stop briefly issued at Reagan airport; delays expected to continue
"Airport volume" led the Federal Aviation Administration to briefly issue the directive around 7:30 a.m. EST, two days following a deadly mid-air collision between an American Airlines regional flight and U.S. military helicopter.
"Departures to Ronald Reagan Washington National are delayed [an] average [of] 62 mins due to low ceilings," the FAA wrote in an update, adding some flights had been delayed up to 143 minutes because of the weather.
Officials continued recovery efforts Friday morning, warning members of the public not to touch any debris they encounter from the collision between American Eagle flight 5342 and the military helicopter.
"If you believe you have information related to the recovery efforts in the Potomac or Anacostia Rivers or on the shore, immediately call 911. Do not touch or remove the item(s). Following this guidance is critical to supporting the impacted families & investigation," the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments wrote on X and Facebook.
So far, 40 of the 67 bodies involved in the crash have so far been recovered.
Authorities on Thursday confirmed they have recovered the flight data recorder and cockpit voice recorder from the Bombardier-made CRJ700 aircraft. The two devices are commonly referred to as the black boxes.
Black boxes from the U.S. Army Sikorsky H-60 helicopter have not yet been recovered, CNN reported, citing sources within the National Transportation Safety Board.
The New York Times published a report Friday alleging the military helicopter involved in Wednesday's deadly mid-air collision near the airport may have been flying at a higher-than-permitted altitude at the time of the crash, citing information from four people with knowledge of the situation but who were not permitted to speak publicly about it.
President Donald Trump on Friday also said the helicopter was flying to high although it wasn't immediately clear if his comments came in response to the New York Times piece or from an official briefing.
"The Blackhawk helicopter was flying too high, by a lot. It was far above the 200-foot limit. That's not really too complicated to understand, is it?," Trump wrote Truth social media platform.
Authorities have confirmed Air Traffic Controller staffing within the airport's tower was "not normal" on the night of the collision.
Almost one year ago, the FAA launched a program to recruit and retain new air traffic controllers in an effort to curb high attrition and transfer rates in the profession across the country.
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New York Times
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Before an Army Black Hawk crashed into a passenger jet on the night of Jan. 29, the helicopter pilots told the air traffic controller guiding them near Ronald Reagan National Airport that they saw a nearby jet and would steer clear of it. But experienced Army aviators told the National Transportation Safety Board during hearings on Friday that American Airlines Flight 5342 might have been difficult for the helicopter pilots to keep in their sights. Federal investigators will release their findings early next year about the cause of the midair collision, which killed 67 people — the worst airplane crash in the United States in nearly a quarter-century. But one question is whether the Army pilots ever actually saw the airplane that the air traffic controller flagged in his communications with them that night. In their testimony Friday, Army experts explained why that might have been difficult for the pilots, Capt. Rebecca M. Lobach, who was undergoing her annual flight evaluation, and her instructor, Chief Warrant Officer 2 Andrew Loyd Eaves. At night, light pollution from Washington, the Pentagon and the airport itself is a common problem for pilots. It can be worse when flying with night-vision goggles, as the Army pilots were using on the night of the crash, the aviators said. Further complicating matters were exterior lights on the commercial jet that were dimmer than those on more modern planes. Even the configuration of the Black Hawks can cause sightline problems. All those factors could have complicated the Black Hawk pilots' ability to keep their eyes on the correct airplane, even after telling the air traffic controller they could see it. Want all of The Times? Subscribe.
CBS News
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- CBS News
Key takeaways from 3-day hearing on deadly D.C. midair collision
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New York Times
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