STEVE INSKEEP, HOST:
Families of the 67 people killed in the January aircraft collision near Washington's Reagan Airport are getting some answers about what happened and why. The National Transportation Safety Board started a three-day investigative hearing on the moment that an Army Black Hawk helicopter struck an American Airlines plane. Here's NPR's Joe Hernandez.
JOE HERNANDEZ, BYLINE: After any aircraft accident, the focus turns to what happened, what went wrong. But the families of the victims want to make sure their loved ones are remembered, too. Gwen Duggins came to the NTSB meeting in Washington for her daughter, Kiah, who died on the jet. Duggins says it's important to make sure all 67 victims on the plane and the helicopter aren't forgotten.
(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)
GWEN DUGGINS: The world is different because their brilliance and their genius is no longer with us. And so I think it's important to hold people accountable.
HERNANDEZ: It's with that in mind, the NTSB opened its hearing on the worst U.S. air disaster in decades. Board members and staff questioned representatives from the Federal Aviation Administration, the Army and others on Wednesday. Topics ranged from possibly incorrect altitude readings in the helicopter to the crowded airspace around the DCA airport. NTSB chairwoman Jennifer Homendy says some people at the FAA had previously identified the helicopter route near the busy airport as a problem, but the agency didn't act.
(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)
JENNIFER HOMENDY: It's so bureaucratic that nobody can take what is clearly a safety issue and get it up through the offices that should be making the decision to ensure safety in the airspace. Or somebody's ignoring them, maybe.
HERNANDEZ: Another concern is the altimeters used in Army Black Hawk helicopters. Investigators say the one in this case may have malfunctioned and given the pilots the incorrect altitude. Army representatives said it wasn't unusual for barometric altimeters to be off even by 100 feet, which troubled NTSB member J. Todd Inman.
(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)
J TODD INMAN: You just told me, I believe, all these - this equipment in this manufacturing process is within the tolerances for safety. How much is that tolerance? I think it should be zero.
HERNANDEZ: NTSB members also expressed concerns that helicopters had been allowed to fly so close under commercial planes near DCA. That was banned after the crash. The board's investigative report is expected to be released next year.
Joe Hernandez, NPR News, Washington.
(SOUNDBITE OF SWIFTLY'S "OCEANSIDE") Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.
NPR transcripts are created on a rush deadline by an NPR contractor. This text may not be in its final form and may be updated or revised in the future. Accuracy and availability may vary. The authoritative record of NPR’s programming is the audio record.