Helicopter in deadly DC airport collision was flying too high, NTSB says

Investigators discovered that the army helicopter involved in a deadly outdoor collision on Washington DC received defective altitude data, which caused it higher than expected.

The results, revealed during the hearing of the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), indicate that the helicopter altime devices – which indicate to the pilots to what height they are – showed differences ranging from 80 feet (24.4 m) to 130 feet.

The 64 passengers aboard an American Airlines flight, as well as three crew members on the helicopter, were killed in the accident on January 29.

Investigators are not supposed to identify the cause of the accident at the hearing, but will present information on what has led to the tragedy.

The first day of the three -day hearing focused on the alticopter, performance and navigation systems of the military helicopter.

The audience opened its doors on Wednesday with video animation showing the way to helicopter and air transport just before the collision.

The families of the victims of the accident attended the hearing, some carrying photos of their loved ones around their neck or on pimples.

Tim Lilley, whose son Sam was the first plane officer, told CBS News, the American partner of the BBC, that he hopes that the audience will help him to know more about these last moments.

“I know that my son saw this helicopter a second before the impact, and they tried very much to avoid it,” said Lilley.

“Sam was a good pilot, and he would have tried to drive this plane all along, to the bottom.”