The Black Hawk helicopter that crashed into an American Airlines plane was alerted to the plane’s presence by air control twice, the first time at least two minutes before the deadly crash, according to a Washington Post report.
Aviation experts reviewed Wednesday night’s radio transmissions, obtained by The Washington Post, and said that a soldier on the Black Hawk requested “visual separation” so that the helicopter crew could maintain a safe distance from the plane, which it could see. Both times, the request was approved by air traffic control.
At 8:48 p.m., about 12 seconds after the second air traffic control tower alert, the helicopter and passenger plane collided.