Transportation safety investigators are examining whether the pilots of American Airlines Flight 5342 detected danger before colliding with a military helicopter near Ronald Reagan National Airport. The regional jet from Wichita made a sudden upward turn during its final descent but could not avoid the crash. “There was a slight change in pitch, an increase in pitch,” said Todd Inman of the National Transportation Safety Board. The helicopter was reportedly flying higher than allowed. Investigators revealed this was the deadliest U.S. aviation accident in nearly 25 years.
