Black Hawk helicopter was flying too high before DC midair crash with American Airlines flight, NTSB confirms

An Army Black Hawk helicopter was flying too high when it crashed into an American Airlines jet near Reagan National Airport in Washington, DC last week, the National Transportation Safety Board confirmed.Data from air traffic control radar showed the military chopper was flying at 300 feet on the air traffic control display at the time of the fiery crash, according to the NTSB.The maximum altitude for helicopters in the area — which is also a flight path of jets going into and out of Reagan — is 200 feet.The radar data is rounded to the nearest 100 feet, the NTSB said — meaning the helicopter could have been anywhere between 251 feet and 349 feet of elevation.Officials, in coordination with the Naval Sea Systems Command Supervisor of Salvage and Diving, have recovered the ring wing, center fuselage, part of the left wing and left fuselage and significant portions of the forward cabin and cockpit since the passenger plane plunged into the frigid Potomac River last Wednesday.The wreckage will be moved to a secure location for investigation, officials said.The Black Hawk is expected to be removed from the water later this week.The NTSB said it cannot confirm the exact altitude or details of the helicopter until it is removed and examined.The collision, which claimed 67 lives, is the deadliest commercial crash in the US in more than two decades.This is a developing story.

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