Seconds later, the helicopter collides with the CRJ. A fireball erupts over the river. Air traffic controllers gasp.
All 67 people aboard both aircraft were killed.
The helicopter crew responds saying they have the aircraft in sight, and again request visual separation.
Transcripts from the helicopter's internal voice recorder show the instructor telling the pilot to come to the left. "We're kinda out towards the middle."
Our final NVG reconstruction image shows the location of the CRJ just before it's about the turn and fly over the river.
17 seconds before the collision, ATC tells the helicopter to "Pass behind the CRJ". But, the transmission was stepped on, meaning "pass behind" was not audible in the cockpit.
From the helicopter's perspective the CRJ is positioned over the bright lights of the National Harbor.
This waterfront area has become three times brighter in the past 10 years as it has been built up with the addition of the MGM casino, according to a light analysis by The Post.
Night vision goggles narrow the field of vision, requiring pilots to continuously scan the sky.
Its from here, 90 seconds before the crash, that we were able to produce our NVG reconstruction. The CRJ arcs over the bright city lights, while the airbus is flying straight over the dark river.
The CRJ was headed toward runway 33, a lesser-used runway which requires an arced approach over the east bank of the Potomac.
Because runway 1 is used around 95% of the time, the helicopter crew could have had expectation bias and have been focused on the Runway 1 approach.
When Air Traffic control first alerted the helciopter to the presence of the plane (CRJ), a larger Airbus was flying behind it. From the heliopter crew's perspectvie, the two planes would have almost overlapped, providing an opportunity from on to be mistaken for the other.
For months we have been working to recreate the view from the helicopter cockpit and the light conditions the crew may have encountered.
We flew a drone along the helicopter's route.
We filmed incoming planes through night vision goggles.
We created a 3D model of the D.C. area.
The NTSB has been looking into whether city lights could have made it difficult for the helicopter crew to track the plane. And whether night vision goggles the crew is believed to have been using could have made it even trickier.
For our new visual investigation into how night vision and city lights may have played a part in the DCA crash we flew a drone along the helicopters route, filmed incoming planes through night vision goggles, and analyzed it all within a 3D model of Washington, D.C.
Watch here wapo.st/4atdTBI
Authorities have arrested a man for starting a fire on New Years that caused the Palisades blaze several days later.
Our investigation from Jan. used satellite and visual analysis to show that a fire on New Year’s Day likely smouldered for days before being reignited 6 days later. wapo.st/4pWUKNX
In the 18 minutes before the DCA crash, the air traffic controller managed the movement of 29 different aircraft, including the arrival or departure of six flights within 5 minutes.
www.washingtonpost.com/business/202...
Hi David, I'm a reporter from The Washington Post. Could you message me, we're interested in publishing your photo. Thanks!
Multiple Israeli strikes on Evin Prison in Tehran caused damage across 2,000 feet. The strikes killed civilians and damaged structures including a visitor gate, visitor hall, medical center, and solitary confinement cells.
wapo.st/3Id3k9Q
Our analysis of satellite Imagery showed impacts on aircraft hangars, runways and a likely air force control area.
wapo.st/4j8TnqP
Our Visual Forensics/International coverage of Israeli atrocities in Gaza was announced last night a Pulitzer Prize finalist!
The nominated stories were reported with rigor and care. They centre human stories and harness innovative techniques to uncover hidden truths from afar. Proud of our team!
Visual Evidence indicates UN guesthouse in Gaza was hit by two Israeli tank rounds, killing aid worker Marin Marinov, known to U.N. colleagues for his warmth and kindness, and severely injuring 5 others.
Read our story here: wapo.st/4jv2uCI
Unable to publish crucial satellite imagery evidence from the moments after the incident, we recreated the scene in 3D.
Six emergency vehicles are visible in a hole just south of where medics' bodies would be exhumed a week later.
20 IDF vehicles are within a 0.5mile radius.
While the Israeli military said the soldiers shot from afar, gunfire was initially 150 feet away or less when they opened fire on the convoy of emergency vehicles and later was within about 50 feet, according to the estimates of two audio forensics experts who analyzed audio for The Post.
Our story reconstructs the moments before and after the killing and mass burial of health workers in Gaza.
The initial Israeli gunshots that targeted Palestinian paramedics were fired from 150 feet or less, audio suggests.
Gift link: wapo.st/4cowWMq
Palestinian paramedics said Israel gave them safe passage to save a 6-year-old girl in Gaza. They were all killed.
Gift link - t.co/m5uFT5qIqo
Israel is demolishing northern Gaza and fortifying military positions, imagery shows
Gift link - t.co/8TsOCvDB1o
Threading some of the stories that won...
Drone footage raises questions about Israeli justification for deadly strike on Gaza journalists
Gift link - t.co/PYrw8C9H5u
It is an immense honor to be awarded The Shireen Abu Akleh Award for continuing coverage of a conflict from @opcofamerica.bsky.social for our accountability-driven stories about the war in Gaza.
We will continue to report on this war, as we are doing today.
At this point if the helicopter pilot had misidentified the incoming plane for one further behind, it would have become increasingly difficult for them to realize their mistake as the AA 5342 jet's lights merged with the city lights below as it arced to the east preparing to land at runway 33.
Our examination shows how the American Airlines jet, AA5342, and the second plane AA3130, though separated by miles, would have appeared close to one another near the horizon and the helicopter crew could have confused the two jets when the tower first warned of incoming air traffic.
Helicopter pilot's request for "visual separation" from passenger plane complicated by city lights and potential confusion with another jet in line of sight, our new 3D reconstruction shows.
wapo.st/4htyTJf
Sentinel-2 satellite imagery taken on Tuesday at 10:45 a.m., around 20 minutes after the Palisades Fire began, indicates that the origin of the smoke overlapped with the burn scar from the New Year’s Eve fire. Smoke extends in the direction of the wind, to the south.
The Post identified the burn scar of the New Year’s Eve fire using false-color satellite imagery taken before and after the blaze. The near-infrared spectral band helps track changes to vegetation in satellite imagery. Healthy plant cover appears red, while the scorched ground appears blue to brown.
Our new investigation uses visual evidence and radio coms to show how the burn scar from a New Year's Eve fire may have started the Palisades blaze 6 days later. wapo.st/3Ci3ASa
