The Army Black Hawk helicopter involved in the tragic collision with an American Airlines plane had deviated significantly from the approved flight path set by air traffic control, leading to the deadly crash over the Potomac River.

According to sources cited by The New York Times, the Black Hawk was supposed to be following a designated path known as ‘Route 4’ at Reagan National Airport. This route is specifically designated for helicopters to fly below 200 feet to ensure they steer clear of incoming commercial jets to the Virginia airport.

Despite the established protocol, the military helicopter identified as PAT-25 was observed flying at an altitude exceeding 300 feet and had veered off course by at least half a mile before the devastating collision with American Airlines Flight 5342 took place on a Wednesday evening, resulting in the tragic loss of 67 lives.

An experienced air traffic controller exclusively told DailyMail.com that the air traffic control (ATC) audio that emerged from the crash showed the operator’s instructions to the helicopter were ‘very ambiguous.’

In the nearly minute-and-a-half recording, ATC operators could be heard asking the helicopter if the commercial flight is in sight.

Through muffled audio, more commands and confirmations were made between ATC operators.

One air traffic controller said to the helicopter pilot: ‘PAT 2-5, do you have the CRJ in sight?’

Seconds later, the controller spoke again, requesting: ‘Pat 2-5 pass behind the CRJ.’

The Black Hawk never responded and moments later, the two aircrafts would collide in a fiery explosion over the river. 

Five current and former controllers told The Times the controller should have instructed both aircrafts to fly away from each other rather than just asking one to move from the other. 

However, they recognized that it’s harder to gauge distance at night and some wondered if the Black Hawk had mistaken a different plane in the busy airspace as AA 5342. 

In addition, sources told The Times only one controller was dealing with both commercial planes and helicopters after one employee was sent home. 

It is normal for one person to be in charge of both post-9:30 pm as airport traffic significantly decreases. However, the crash happened before 9 pm. 

A preliminary FAA report, obtained by The Times, states that Reagan’s control tower staffing was ‘not normal for the time of day and volume of traffic.’ 

When contacted by DailyMail.com, the FAA said it ‘cannot comment on any aspect of open investigations’ and the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) – which is leading the investigation – will provide updates when it can. 

A lot of air traffic control towers are understaffed and President Donald Trump blamed DEI not only for the crash itself, but for the FAA turning away 1,000 job applicants, alleging it worsen safety matters. 

In a suit filed in 2015, lead plaintiff Andrew Brigida, 35, claims the agency’s obsession with DEI hiring was a catalyst in ensuring an accident was likely to happen – and reiterated this in an interview with The Telegraph on Thursday.

The FAA dropped a skills-based system for hiring air traffic controllers and instead based it on a ‘biographical assessment’ under the Obama administration.

Brigida, who is white, alleged that he was discriminated against based purely on his race and was the reason his application was knocked back.

The Arizona state graduate was turned down for a job with the agency even though he had passed his training exam with full marks, the suit claims.

The FAA has struggled in recent years with staffing issues following pandemic-era layoffs and has yet to fully recover.

The lawsuit only compounds mounting criticism on the agency, especially after President Trump blamed DEI hiring policies on the cause of Wednesday’s crash.

In Trump’s first term, lawyers for the Federal Transportation Department argued to throw out Brigida’s case.

They said that deciding to open up applications for more diverse candidates isn’t solid enough grounds to file a discrimination suit.

Title VII of the Civil Rights Act stops employers from discriminating on ‘race, color, religion, sex and national origin.’

In a 2020 motion filed by the government, they said: ‘An employer’s decision to broaden the pool of potential applicants between rounds of hiring is not a personnel action cognizable under Title VII.’

They added that Brigida can’t claim discrimination just because the new system no longer benefitted him.

Reagan National has been understaffed for many years, with just 19 fully certified controllers as of September 2023 – well below the target of 30 – according to the most recent Air Traffic Controller Workforce Plan submitted to Congress.

The situation appeared to have improved since then, as a source told CNN the Reagan National control tower was 85 percent staffed with 24 of 28 positions filled.

Chronic understaffing at air traffic control towers is nothing new, with well-known causes including high turnover and budget cuts.

In order to fill the gaps, controllers are frequently asked to work 10-hour days, six days a week.