The collision occurred under clear skies around 9 p.m., but the precise altitude of the aircraft at the time they collided remains a mystery, with the control tower and the plane's flight recorder giving readings that indicate they were not traveling at the same height when they collided.
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has revealed a significant discrepancy in the altitude readings of the two aircraft. According to the preliminary data from the passenger jet's flight recorder, the plane was flying at an altitude of 325 feet, plus or minus 25 feet, when the collision occurred. However, the control tower data, which is typically considered reliable, showed the Black Hawk helicopter at 200 feet, the maximum altitude permitted for helicopters in the area.
"That’s what our job is, to figure that out," NTSB member Todd Inman told reporters during a news conference on Saturday. The NTSB is now working to reconcile these conflicting readings, a task complicated by the fact that the helicopter's black box, which could provide crucial data, is waterlogged and requires more time to retrieve...<<<Read More>>>...
