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By Sophie Clark
Live News Reporter
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Two new videos of the American Airlines plane crash have raised more questions over how the deadly incident occurred.
The videos, obtained by CNN, show the Army Black Hawk helicopter flying directly at the passenger plane at speed in what appears to be good visibility.
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Why It Matters
This crash has caused concern about the Federal Aviation Authority's (FAA) capacity for controlling airspace, especially as Elon Musk had reportedly demanded the resignation of FAA head Michael Whitaker just days before the crash.
The president has so far blamed diversity measures in the FAA for why the crash happened, without elaborating.
An investigation is under way. However, as with every disaster, it takes time to get a comprehensive picture of the events, and investigators will want to be sure they understand fully what happened before they release their findings.
What to Know
The American Airlines Canadair Regional Jet (CRJ) crash on January 29 killed 64 passengers and crew onboard the plane and all three soldiers on the helicopter.
The plane was coming in to land at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA) when it was struck by the helicopter flying directly toward it. The new videos from CNN show that the helicopter did not appear to slow down or divert its path before hitting the passenger plane.
Audio recording from the air traffic control tower, which was reportedly understaffed at the time, shows a controller asking the helicopter (PAT 2-5) operators: "PAT 2-5 do you have the CRJ in sight?"
Then saying: "PAT 2-5 pass behind the CRJ."
The helicopter pilot then responds: "PAT 2-5 has aircraft in sight, request visual separation," just moments before the crash.
While the investigation is ongoing, several theories have arisen over what could have happened.
One pilot on X who goes by the handle @visionik said that because there was both the landing CRJ-700 plane and another departing plane in the same airspace, he thinks the helicopter pilot got confused between the two aircraft, and while they had eyes on the departing flight, they did not see the one coming in to land.
This new footage raises questions over how the helicopter pilot could have not seen the landing plane, as the night was clear and they were very close to one another.
However, one former Black Hawk pilot told CNN that visibility is also about the crew, and that a crew of three was probably not enough for a helicopter to navigate the complicated airspace around DCA.
Senator Tim Kaine also spoke out about his concerns over crashes at DCA a year ago. He said he feared a crash would occur at the airport following the passage of a bill that authorized five more planes to be scheduled at the airport, despite it already hosting the busiest runway in the country.
What People Are Saying
Marjorie Taylor Greene on X: "How did this happen? Clear skies, good visibility, and the American Airlines plane is extremely visible"
Donald Trump: "The Blackhawk helicopter was flying too high, by a lot. It was far above the 200-foot limit. That's not really too complicated to understand, is it???"
Former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg on X: "Despicable. As families grieve, Trump should be leading, not lying. We put safety first, drove down close calls, grew Air Traffic Control, and had zero commercial airline crash fatalities out of millions of flights on our watch.
"President Trump now oversees the military and the FAA. One of his first acts was to fire and suspend some of the key personnel who helped keep our skies safe. Time for the President to show actual leadership and explain what he will do to prevent this from happening again."
What Happens Next
An investigation led by the local, state and federal authorities is ongoing. Rescue efforts quickly turned to recovery efforts, as emergency services predicted there would be no survivors. Some 14 people are still unaccounted for.
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