The final exchange between the pilots aboard the Black Hawk helicopter that fatally collided with an American Airlines jet in January suggests they may have been trying to veer out of the plane’s path just seconds before impact.
Details emerging from an ongoing National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) investigation have revealed a chilling glimpse into the moments before the mid-air collision, which killed all 67 individuals aboard both aircraft near Washington, D.C.
The NTSB began three days of hearings this week, releasing audio transcripts and cockpit voice recordings from the January 29 crash near Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport.
According to The New York Times, the audio captured a discussion between Chief Warrant Officer 2 Andrew Loyd Eaves, 39, and his trainee, Captain Rebecca M. Lobach, 28. At one point, Eaves instructs, “All right, kinda come left for me ma’am, I think that’s why he’s asking,” referencing air traffic control.
Lobach replies, “Sure.”
Eaves continues, “We’re kinda—” before Lobach interjects, “OK. Fine.”
“Out towards the middle,” Eaves concludes.
Just two seconds later, the helicopter crashed into the passenger jet.
The newly released transcript accompanied a video presented at the hearing, recorded from a camera at the end of the runway. Officials gave family members in attendance the option to step out or look away. Many remained, gripping photos of their lost loved ones, some reduced to tears as the footage played.
Roughly 15 seconds before the collision, the air traffic controller asked the Black Hawk crew if they could see the approaching plane. Three seconds after that, the controller instructed the helicopter to pass behind it—but the warning was never heard. A crew member aboard the Black Hawk had inadvertently pressed the microphone button, effectively blocking the transmission.
The crash, involving American Airlines flight 5342, claimed the lives of numerous passengers, including:
- Captain Jonathan Campos, 34
- First Officer Samuel Lilley, 28
- Flight attendant Ian Epstein, 53
- Spencer Lane, 16
- Christine Lane, 49
- Jinna Han, 13
- Michael Stovall, 40
- Olivia Eve Ter, 12
- Asra Hussain Raza, 26
- Staff Sgt. Ryan O’Hara, 28
- Chief Warrant Officer 2 Andrew Eaves, 39
And many others—families, friends, and fellow service members—all of whom perished in the collision.
Officials are now investigating why the helicopter was flying at approximately 300 feet—well above its assigned 200-foot ceiling—and whether altimeter errors could have provided faulty readings. Lobach had also reported that communications from air traffic control sounded “pretty muffled.”
Throughout much of the 15-minute flight, cockpit voice recordings indicate that the crew remained calm, even laughing at times. Eaves, acting as instructor, guided Lobach through maneuvers while making minor course corrections, including one final attempt to descend moments before the crash.
The NTSB will continue releasing findings from its six-month investigation over the coming days.
Elsewhere at Ronald Reagan Airport, shaken passengers described mixed emotions as operations resumed. The airport reopened around 11 a.m. the next day after a 14-hour shutdown.
“I’m flying out, it’s pretty tragic,” said 25-year-old traveler Abhi. “I fly regularly and so it does make me feel a little bit more aware than I usually do… definitely a little bit more scared, but you’ve got to move on.”
Carlos Estrada, a Maryland resident, was awaiting his sister’s arrival from Arkansas after her flight was diverted. “She’s very concerned, she’s been texting me the whole time,” he said. “It makes me uneasy. We’re all here hurting in some way.”
The hearings continue this week as the NTSB pieces together a clearer picture of what went wrong during the final moments of that fateful night.
