Instrument Malfunction Suspected in Reagan Airport Helicopter Crash

Federal investigators have revealed that Army pilots of a Black Hawk helicopter involved in a fatal midair collision with a passenger jet over the Potomac River on January 29th may have been misled by their instruments. This misinterpretation of altitude could have led them to believe they were at a safer height, inadvertently directing them into the path of the passenger jet. This information was disclosed as the National Transportation Safety Board commenced three days of public hearings into the crash, which resulted in 67 fatalities and marked the first fatal incident involving a major American airline in 15 years. The hearings are expected to detail a sequence of malfunctions and critical decisions made that night, exacerbating the risks in the busy airspace.