New crash footage sparks concern over helicopter pilot as Trump says he was flying too high ‘by a lot’ & 40 bodies found
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THE fatal mistakes that caused a passenger plane to smash into a hovering Black Hawk in a fiery explosion that killed 67 have been made crystal clear in newly released footage.
As bodies continue to be pulled from the Potomac River in Washington DC, an enraged President Donald Trump has started a mad search for who is responsible.
On Thursday, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth admitted that an "elevation mistake" saw the Army-operated helicopter hovering in the path of the American Airlines plane before 9 pm on Wednesday.
The crash killed all involved, including 60 American Airlines passengers and four flight crew members, plus the three soldiers operating the Black Hawk.
It is the deadliest US air crash since November 2001, when 260 people died after an American Airlines plane plunged into a Queens neighborhood.
The lethal mistakes have now been captured in newly released angles obtained by CNN.
In the footage, the Black Hawk can be seen hovering over the river as the passenger plane makes its final descent to Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport.
In a heart-dropping second, the two collided into a fiery explosion, and burning debris fell into the waters.
Hair-raising cold and ink-black waters made rescue conditions nearly impossible, and brave crews started searching for bodies after the sun rose Thursday morning.
So far, over 40 bodies have been found, and some of the victims include teenage ice skaters, world-class athletes, and a crew of hunting buddies.
Trump, who at first pointed the finger at the controversial hiring methods for air traffic controllers, is now taking a hard look at the Army pilots.
Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk fact file
A SIKORSKY UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter crashed into an American Airlines plane carrying 64 people on January 29. The collision happened as the jet was about to land at Reagan national airport.
Army personnel have used Black Hawk helicopters since the late 1970s.
Black Hawk helicopters don't just transport troops; the flying machines are used in search and rescue missions, and deliver supplies to war-torn nations.
Here are some facts about the helicopter:
- Cost: Between $5.9 million and $10.2 million.
- Top speed: 183mph.
- Range: 1,380 miles.
- Engines: Powered by two electric engines that have 2,000 horsepower each.
- Length: 50 feet one inch.
- Height: 16 feet 10 inches.
- Troop capacity: Up to 11 fully equipped soldiers.
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