Data Shows Pilots Attempted to Save Lives Before Fatal Crash

Flight data reveals that Captain Jonathan Campos and First Officer Samuel Lilley made a final attempt to avoid disaster before their plane collided with a military helicopter.

On January 29, at 8:47 p.m. ET, PSA Airlines Flight 5342, operated by American Airlines, was nearing Washington, D.C., when it struck a Black Hawk helicopter carrying three U.S. soldiers. The crash sent debris into the Potomac River, making it the deadliest U.S. air accident since 2001.

According to the aircraft’s black box, Campos and Lilley tried to lift the plane just before impact. “At one point very close to the impact, there was a slight change in pitch, an increase in pitch,” said NTSB official Todd Inman.

Investigators found discrepancies between control tower data and the plane’s flight recorder. The flight recorder indicated the helicopter was at 325 feet, above the 200-foot limit for helicopters in the area. “Obviously, an impact occurred… that is typically where the altitude of both aircraft were at the moment,” Inman explained.

Campos had spoken with his uncle before takeoff. “He sounded really happy,” his uncle recalled, adding that Campos was excited about an upcoming cruise with family.