Altitude Error Causes Tragic Black Hawk Collision

A Black Hawk helicopter collided with a passenger jet near Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, resulting in 67 fatalities. The U.S. Defense Secretary pointed to altitude issues as the cause. The helicopter was flying above its permissible altitude when it collided with a CRJ700 airplane.

An altitude issue is suspected to have caused the tragic collision between a Black Hawk helicopter and a passenger jet near Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport last month, leading to 67 deaths. U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth revealed this information on Fox News on Wednesday.

Investigators from the National Transportation Safety Board have confirmed that the CRJ700 airplane was flying at 325 feet (91 meters), give or take 25 feet, during the impact. This assessment was disclosed earlier in February.

The findings imply that the Army helicopter was operating above its allowable altitude of 200 feet (61 meters) for the route it was navigating, contributing to the catastrophic event.