Your Washington DC plane crash question answers Earlier this week, American Airlines flight 5342 was approaching Ronald Reagan National Airport when it collided in mid-air with an Army Black Hawk helicopter, with all 67 people on board both aircraft feared dead.
Investigators will gather evidence from the crash site on the Potonac River, analyse data from each aircraft's flight recorders known as black boxes, interview witnesses, examine wreckage and piece together the sequence of events that lead up to the collision.
According to CBS News, data collated from FlightRadar24, revealed that the helicopter's last estimated altitude was about 400 feet when it crashed and the passenger jet's altitude was about 375 to 400 feet, according to data from FlightAware and FlightRadar24.
In regards to the crash in Washington DC, the permitted flight ceiling on the Potomac River near Reagan National Airport is 200 feet.
This ensures that the heavy flow of military helicopters in the area stays safely clear of the steady stream of commercial aircraft traffic heading into and out of Reagan National Airport.
