D.C. Crash Update: Helicopter crew may have been getting incorrect altitude readings - MSNBC Reports

[Rhiannon12866]

The NTSB said today the Black Hawk helicopter that crashed into a passenger jet over the Potomac River may have been getting incorrect altitude readings ahead of the collision. NBC News’ Erin McLaughlin reports more. MSNBC aviation analyst John Cox joins Chris Jansing to share his expertise. - 02/14/2025.

[dem4decades]

1. DEI altimeters? Thanks Joe Biden.

And if you need a sarcasm emoji, that's not my fault.

[bluedigger]

2. My National Guard unit had a bad accident due to this decades ago.

Military helicopters often set their altimeters to AGL (Above ground level) during ops as opposed to ASL (above sea level). In my unit's case it impacted a repel exercise which left the repeller 50' off the ground when he ran out of rope. He survived with extensive injuries. First thing I thought of when I heard about the accident.

[rickford66]

4. DC elevation per Google is 236 ft

If they set it to ASL, at the time of the crash their altimeter would read 236 + 300 > 536. I think another mistake could have been a wrong baro setting if the altimeters were baros. What did their radar altimeter read ? Haven't heard that.

[elleng]

3. Sadly interesting. Glad they're figuring it out.