April 27, 2026
World
World
WASHINGTON, April 27 — A man accused of targeting US administration officials at a Washington event has been arrested after allegedly opening fire, injuring a Secret Service agent.
NEW YORK, Aug 2 — A US Army helicopter involved in a mid-air collision that killed 67 people in Washington was found to have discrepancies in its altitude readings, according to an NTSB investigative hearing.
The January 29 crash between a Sikorsky Black Hawk and an American Airlines Bombardier CRJ700 near Reagan National Airport left no survivors.
Tests on similar helicopters revealed a significant difference—up to 130 feet—between radar and barometric altimeter readings during flight. Investigators noted that once the rotors were active, the readings dropped and remained lower than the true altitude.
NTSB chair Jennifer Homendy called the discrepancy "significant," raising concern that the crew may have believed they were flying lower than they actually were. Helicopters in the Potomac River area are required to fly below 200 feet.
The hearing, held from Wednesday to Friday, included testimonies from investigators, FAA officials, and air traffic controllers. FAA air traffic control specialist Clark Allen confirmed there was adequate supervision in the control tower during the incident.
This was the first major air disaster in the US since 2009. President Donald Trump blamed diversity hiring policies, though no evidence supports this claim. — AFP
