THE pilots aboard the Black Hawk that collided with an American Airlines flight in January had a brief conversation seconds before the crash, suggesting they intended to turn out of the plane’s path.
More unsettling details are emerging about the crash that resulted in the deaths of all 67 people involved in Washington DC as the National Transportation Safety Board investigates the tragedy.
The NTSB is conducting three days of hearings to try to determine what caused the collision near Ronald Reagan National Airport on January 29.
On Thursday, transportation officials released a transcript of the dialogue in the Black Hawk cockpit in the moments preceding the crash.
In one significant moment, the pilots discussed turning east towards the Washington DC bank of the Potomac River, a maneuver that might have averted the disaster entirely.
A voice recording retrieved from the helicopter captured Chief Warrant Officer 2 Andrew Loyd Eaves, 39, the pilot instructor, conversing with his copilot, trainee Captain Rebecca M. Lobach, 28, The New York Times reported.
At one point, he said, “All right, kinda come left for me ma’am, I think that’s why he’s asking,” referring to the air traffic controller’s guidance.
“Sure,” replied Lobach, who was at the Black Hawk’s controls.
Eaves then said, “We’re kinda —” before abruptly stopping as Lobach said, “OK. Fine.”
“Out towards the middle,” Eaves finished.
Two seconds later, they crashed into the plane.
The disturbing transcript comes as the NTSB showed a new video from the end of the runway that captured the crash.
Before they played the video, the investigators paused and told family members they could leave the room or look away.
After viewing the harrowing footage, some audience members broke down into sobs, clutching photographs of their loved ones who were lost too soon.
SECOND BY SECOND TIMELINE
About 15 seconds before the crash, the air traffic controller asked the Black Hawk if it could see the passenger plane, according to audio transcripts.
Three seconds after this, the controller told the helicopter to pass behind the American Airlines flight.
Washington DC plane crash victims
A mid-air collision between American Airlines flight 5342 and a military helicopter on January 29, 2025, left dozens presumed dead. The victims include:
- Captain Jonathan Campos, 34
- First Officer Samuel Lilley, 28
- Flight attendant Ian Epstein, 53
- Flight attendant Danasia Brown
- Spencer Lane, 16
- Christine Lane, 49
- Jinna Han, 13
- Jin Han
- Evgenia Shishkova, 52
- Vadim Naumov, 55
- Alexandr Kirsanov
- Angela Yang
- Sean Kay
- Peter Livingston
- Donna Smojice Livingston
- Everly Livingston, 14
- Alydia Livingston, 11
- Inna Volyanskaya
- Brielle Beyer, 12,
- Justyna Magdalena Beyer
- Olivia Eve Ter, 12
- Asra Hussain Raza, 26
- Michael Stovall, 40
- Jesse Pitcher, 30
- Elizabeth Anne Keys, 33
- Wendy Jo Shaffer
- Kiah Duggins
- Casey Crafton
- Lori Schrock, 56
- Robert Schrock, 58
- Vikesh Patel
- Grace Maxwell, 20
- Black Hawk Staff Sgt. Ryan O’Hara, 28
- Black Hawk Chief Warrant Officer 2 Andrew Eaves, 39
But while the controller said this, a Black Hawk crew member pressed their microphone and the message never came through.
The NTSB is investigating how the Army crew’s actions were able to completely stop transmissions.
The helicopter was piloted by trainee Captain Rebecca Lobach, Chief Warrant Officer 2 Andrew Eaves, and Staff Sergeant Ryan O’Hara.
Choppers flying in that zone are only cleared to ascend to an altitude of 200 feet, but for some reason, the Black Hawk was hovering well above that.
‘Scared’ travelers return to Ronald Reagan airport
By Senior Reporter Israel Salas-Rodriguez in Washington DC:
Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport is up and running again after a Black Hawk chopper crashed into an American Airlines flight preparing for arrival just before 9 pm on Wednesday leaving 67 people dead.
After closing for 14 hours following the collision, DCA reopened at 11 am on Thursday.
“I’m flying out, it’s pretty tragic,” Abhi, a 25-year-old traveler told The U.S. Sun at the airport.
“I fly regularly and so it does make me feel a little bit more aware than I usually do when I’m flying.
“So, definitely I feel a little bit more aware and scared, but you got to keep going and got to move on you know.”
A Maryland resident named Carlos Estrada told The U.S. Sun he was waiting for his sister’s flight to arrive from Arkansas after it was rerouted to New York.
“She’s very concerned, she’s been texting me the whole time,” Estrada said.
“It makes me uneasy. We’re all here hurting in some way.”
Transportation officials testified Wednesday that the pilots may have been getting inaccurate readings because of an altimeter error.
During the rest of the 15-flight, the Army soldiers made small talk and laughed amongst themselves while Eaves guided.
At one point, Lobach described the radio transmissions from air traffic control as “pretty muffled.”
Nearly two and a half minutes before the crash, Eaves told his trainee to “come down for me” as they were flying at 300 feet instead of the approved 200.
World-class athletes, budding figure skaters, and a group of hunting buddies were among those who died in the icy waters.
The NTSB will continue to release its six months of findings in hearings this week.
