Lucy Devine
Sad new details have emerged about a helicopter's final seconds before it crashed into an American Airlines passenger jet.
In January, American Airlines Flight 5342 was involved in a mid-air collision with a United States Army Black Hawk helicopter in Washington, D.C.
The PSA jet, which was carrying 60 passengers and four crew members, was landing at the Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport when it was struck by a Sikorsky H-60 military helicopter carrying three soldiers on a training flight.
The crash tragically claimed the lives of 67 people onboard both aircraft, making it the deadliest crash in the US since 12 November, 2001, when a plane crashed into a New York City neighbourhood.
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Now, new details have been released about what happened to the helicopter, including recordings from inside.
As part of a government investigation, officials at a hearing which began today (30 July) were shown an animation revealing what happened prior to the collision.
According to the National Transportation Safety Board - which began the three-day hearing this week - the American Airlines flight had last communicated with air traffic control around five minutes before it was scheduled to land.
Around the same time, the helicopter, which was being flown by Captain Rebecca Lobach, as well as Chief Warrant Officer 2 Andrew Eaves and Staff Sergeant Ryan O'Hara, was heading to Virginia.
Three minutes before the crash, Eaves could be heard telling Lobach to 'come down for me' due to the fact they were at 300 feet.
The Black Hawk helicopter crashed into the American Airlines plane between 300 and 350 feet above the ground - meaning it was flying more than 100 feet higher than it was authorised, according to information from an air traffic control radar.
The passenger plane, meanwhile, was at 325 feet at the time of the crash and had been cleared to land - with data records also showing the pilots had attempted to pull the plane up seconds before the collision occurred.
The hearing heard how the helicopter was then warned twice by air traffic control about the plane.
The helicopter said it could see the jet, and requested something called a 'visual separation' to allow it to move around the plane.
“Alright, kinda come left for me ma’am, I think that’s why he’s asking,” Eaves told Lobach.
She replied: “Sure.”
Eaves then added: “We’re kinda out towards the middle," to which Lobach said: “Okay, fine.”
Seconds later and the helicopter and jet collided at 8.38pm.
More details on what happened are expected to emerge as the hearing continues this week.