Helicopter May Have Been Off Course and Flying Too High at Time of Deadly Crash With American Airlines Jet; Black Boxes Recovered From Potomac
One of the air traffic controllers on duty was allowed to go home early, leaving just one controller in charge, according to reports.
The black boxes have been pulled from the wreckage of the American Airlines passenger jet that collided with an Army helicopter, killing 67, amid concerning new reports about possible causes of the crash.
The Blackhawk helicopter had reportedly flown higher than its approved path and was a half mile off course, and the airline pilots were likely unable to see the craft as they were making a turn to a different approach requested by the air traffic controller for its landing at Reagan National Airport, according to flight recording and a preliminary internal report from the Federal Aviation Administration.
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