New York magazine has come under fire for an article that rushed to blame military pilots for the American Airlines plane crash in Washington, DC.
The magazine published the piece, titled “The D.C. Plane Crash Is No Mystery,” on January 31, just 48 hours after the air collision that killed 67.
‘A lot is unknown, but one basic fact is not: the helicopter pilot was at fault.’
Officials have yet to confirm which of the three military personnel on board was piloting the Black Hawk when it collided with the regional American Airlines jet.
The investigation is still ongoing, with new information emerging every day about what went wrong.
Still, aviation journalist Jeff Wise blamed an unnamed Army pilot, writing, “It was quite clearly the Army Black Hawk helicopter that was not where it was supposed to be.”
‘While it is possible that the tower was understaffed or that the airport’s resources are chronically overburdened, neither of these factors contributed to the crash, which killed 67 passengers and crew.’
Ironically, Wise began the piece by writing, ‘When air accidents happen, it’s important not to rush to judgment.’
Instagram users took to the comments section to shame the magazine for its early condemnation of the Army pilots, Chief Warrant Officer 2 Andrew Loyd Eaves, 39, and Cpt. Rebecca M. Lobach, 28.
One person wrote, “Not just one person is at fault.” Conduct your research. This is a system with frayed safety nets due to overworked employees and insufficient staffing.
Another added: “NY Mag, are you tabloids?” Is this an editorial?
A third said: “Posting a piece like this appears to fall somewhere between libelous and wildly careless.” This is not journalism. It’s your drunk uncle ranting at a dinner he wasn’t invited to.
When DailyMail.com contacted NY Magazine on Monday, the publication declined to comment.
Over the weekend, it was revealed that the pilots of the doomed American Airlines flight made a last-ditch attempt to save their passengers just moments before colliding with an Army Black Hawk helicopter.
According to preliminary data from the plane’s flight recorder, Captain Jonathan Campos, 34, and First Officer Samuel Lilley, 28, attempted to pull the nose up in the final few seconds before Wednesday’s crash.
‘At one point very close to the impact, there was a slight change in pitch, an increase in pitch,’ National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) member Todd Inman stated in a press conference Saturday night.
The NTSB also revealed that preliminary data indicated conflicting readings about the altitudes of the airliner and helicopter.
According to Inman, data from the jet’s flight recorder showed its altitude at 325ft, plus or minus 25ft, when the crash occurred, but data from the control tower showed the Black Hawk at 200ft.
The discrepancy has yet to be explained, but if the impact occurred at 325ft, the helicopter would have crashed well above the maximum allowed altitude of 200ft in the area.
Investigators ‘currently don’t have the readout from the Black Hawk’ so they cannot provide information about the altitude at which the helicopter was flying, but Inman stated that ‘obviously an impact occurred, and I would say when an impact occurs, that is typically where the altitude of both aircraft were at the time.’
On Sunday, first responders confirmed that 55 of the 67 victims of America’s deadliest crash since 2001 had been identified. Officials are also planning a ‘lifting operation’ on Monday to remove the wreckage from the river.
Investigators said they hoped to reconcile the discrepancy with data from the helicopter’s black box and to improve the tower data, which can be less reliable.
‘This is a complex investigation,’ investigator in charge Brice Banning stated. ‘There are many pieces here.’
Banning stated that the jet’s cockpit voice recorder captured sound moments before the crash.
‘The crew had a verbal reaction,’ Banning said, and the flight data recorder showed “the airplane beginning to increase its pitch.” Impact sounds could be heard about one second later, followed by the recording’s end.
Full investigations typically take a year or longer. The investigators hope to have a preliminary report within 30 days.
Inman also stated that he has spent hours meeting with the victims’ families.
Some people wanted to give us hugs. “Some are just mad and angry,” Inman said. ‘They’re all hurt. And they still want answers, and we want to provide them.
According to officials, more than 300 responders are currently involved in the recovery effort. Two Navy barges were also dispatched to lift the heavy wreckage.