By Nancy A. Youssef
The initial focus of the military investigation is on the altitude of the helicopter at the time of the crash and the communications between air traffic control and the helicopter, U.S. defense officials said.
Among the most important data points a helicopter must be aware of when flying near Reagan National Airport is the altitude of the helicopter because it keeps the helicopter far from incoming commercial flights. The Black Hawk involved in Wednesday's crash was believed to be over 300 feet, defense officials said. Retired Black hawk pilots said helicopters are supposed to be at roughly 200 feet when near the airport.
Both President Trump and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth sighted altitude as a potential factor in the crash.
"The helicopter was obviously in the wrong place at the wrong time," Trump told reporters Thursday.
The pilot and instructor had a combined 1,500 hours of flight time between them, earning many of those hours in the very corridor they were flying in Wednesday night.
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January 30, 2025 15:20 ET (20:20 GMT)
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