Cacophony of errors behind DC jet crash emerge – wrong flight path, ‘juggling two jobs’ & notorious ‘helicopter alley’

A CATALOGUE of errors including staffing issues and use of the wrong flight path could be to blame for the American Airlines plane crash. Questions are being raised over how the jet collided with a helicopter over Washington DC despite it being a "clear night". New Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy admitted Wednesday night's crash that killed 67 people was "absolutely" preventable. Black boxes that could hold crucial clues about what caused the crash have been dredged up from the plane wreckage in the Potomac River.

Officials say a preliminary report is expected to be issued in 30 days as divers continue to recover debris. But as the nation grieves, frustrated families of the victims are demanding answers over how what should have been a routine flight to Ronald Reagan Airport ended in disaster. The finger of blame is being pointed towards a series of apparent failings in safety measures. It comes as... Air traffic control staffing numbers were "not normal", according to an initial Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) report.

The airport's control tower had been operating with a third of the recommended staff - just 19 people instead of 30 - for years, The New York Times reported. And the controller who was directing helicopters was also instructing planes on Wednesday night, when these jobs are typically assigned to two people. Minutes before it was due to land, air traffic controllers asked the incoming plane if it could land on a shorter runway at Reagan National.

The pilots said they could and controllers cleared the jet to land on Runway 33. Flight tracking sites showing the jet adjusted its approach. Less than 30 seconds before the crash, one controller asked the helicopter if it could see the plane. They said: "'PAT 2-5, do you have the CRJ in sight?". The controller made another call to the chopper just moments later, saying: "PAT 25 pass behind the CRJ.". But seconds later, the plane and helicopter crashed.

Former air traffic controller Michele Robson said instructions from air traffic control could have been clearer. She said it is possible that the helicopter pilot thought the Airbus, which was 9.2km away, was the much smaller American Eagle plane just 4.5km away. Ms Robson told Sky: "I would expect them to have specified the airline as well so that there wasn't any confusion. "In the dark in a city environment with lots of lights, and at that distance, I don't think the helicopter would have been able to tell what type [of plane] the Airbus was that far away, so may have just assumed.".

An experienced air traffic controller meanwhile said the operator's instructions to the helicopter were "very ambiguous". He told the Mail: "It would have been very ambiguous as far as, "Okay, what plane? Well, where am I looking?". A former Black Hawk crew member said it is "extremely hard" to see the aircraft. Mark McEathron wrote on X: "Even when you know EXACTLY where a Blackhawk is, and you have night vision goggles on, it is EXTREMELY hard to SEE the aircraft.

"These birds are designed to be hard to see at night.". Meanwhile it is reported the US Army Black Hawk chopper flew outside its approved flight path. Sources told the NYT the helicopter appeared to have been flying too high, and the plane pilots may not have seen the chopper as they made a turn towards the runway. Plane pilots navigating landings at Ronald Reagan Airport have long had to contend with what has been branded the notorious "helicopter alley".

The airport has one of the busiest runways in the US, with more than 800 takeoffs most days. Experts fear this, coupled with the fact it is close to two other airports and various military bases which launch aircraft, could have contributed to the crash. Retired United Airlines pilot Captain Ross Aimer told the New York Post: "DCA is one of the most demanding airports in the world. "It also has what’s known as ‘helicopter alley’ with hundreds of police, military, news and rescue helicopters criss-crossing the Potomac River – it’s crazy out there.".

It has also emerged at least two other pilots reported near-misses with helicopters while landing at the airport in the three years before the deadly crash. A passenger flight had to abort a landing at the airport just a day before the tragedy. Republic Airways Flight 4514 was forced to back out of touching down and had to make a second approach after a helicopter appeared near its flight path, the Washington Post reported.

Duffy yesterday said he agreed with Donald Trump that the crash "looks like it should have been prevented". A mid-air collision between American Airlines flight 5342 and a military helicopter on January 29, 2025, left dozens presumed dead. The victims include:. He insisted, however, there was “not a breakdown” in communication between the helicopter’s pilots and the American Airlines flight. American Airlines CEO Robert Isom appeared to put blame on the military chopper.