67 people believed dead following collision between jet and helicopter near Washington, D.C.
The Transportation Safety Board of Canada (TSB) has sent two accredited representatives to assist in the investigation of a fatal mid-air collision near Washington, D.C., involving a Bombardier CRJ700 aircraft.
“Pursuant to international agreements, the Transportation Safety Board of Canada (TSB) has appointed and deployed two accredited representatives to support the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) in their investigation,” the agency said in a statement.
The crash, which occurred on January 29, is believed to have killed all 67 people aboard both aircraft. The American Airlines CRJ700 jet, carrying 64 passengers and crew, was on its final approach to Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport when it collided with a U.S. Army Black Hawk helicopter carrying three soldiers.
Air traffic control audio confirms the helicopter pilot was alerted to the jet’s position, making it the military aircraft’s responsibility to avoid a collision, according to aviation expert John Gradek of McGill University. He noted that Washington, D.C.’s airspace is among the busiest and most complex in the U.S. due to a mix of commercial and military flights.
The TSB emphasized that, in accordance with international aviation agreements, “information on the progress and the findings of the investigation cannot be publicly released without the express consent of the NTSB.” The agency also reiterated that its role is to improve transportation safety and that it “is not the function of the Board to assign fault or determine civil or criminal liability.”
While the crash raises concerns about airspace congestion and flight safety, Gradek stressed that Canada does not have the same volume of military traffic as Washington, D.C., making such incidents unlikely in Canadian airspace.
-With files from Canadian Press.
