Live: NTSB opens Day 2 of investigative hearing on DC midair plane crash

(NewsNation) — The National Transportation Safety Board will enter a second day of public hearings on Thursday into the deadly midair collision over Washington, D.C., that killed all 67 people aboard a passenger jet and military helicopter.

On Wednesday, investigators highlighted several factors that may have contributed to the crash, as well as warnings about helicopter traffic the Federal Aviation Administration received years before the Jan. 29 crash.

The board has said it's too early to identify the exact cause of the crash and that a final report will not be released until next year. But it became clear Wednesday how small a margin of error there was for helicopters flying the route the UH-60 Black Hawk took the night of the nation’s deadliest plane crash since November 2001.

The incident was the first in a string of crashes and near misses this year that have alarmed officials and the traveling public, though statistics show flying remains the safest form of transportation.

NTSB: Black Hawk helicopter was above altitude limit

NTSB board members revealed the Black Hawk was flying above its altitude limit when it collided with the American Airlines regional jet, which was traveling from Wichita, Kansas.

A video animation showing the path of the helicopter and airliner leading up to the collision. It showed how the helicopter flew above the 200-foot altitude limit before colliding with the plane.

Investigators on Wednesday said the flight data recorder showed the helicopter was flying 80 to 100 feet higher than was indicated by the barometric altimeter, which pilots rely on to determine altitude. The NTSB conducted tests on three other helicopters from the same unit during a flight over the same area and found similar discrepancies.

Previously disclosed air traffic control audio showed the helicopter pilot telling the controller twice that they saw the airplane and would avoid it. The presentation ended with surveillance video showing the helicopter colliding with the plane in a fiery crash.

Families of victims who were in attendance at the hearing broke down in tears during the final moments of the 11-minute footage.

Older Black Hawk helicopter models had transmission system issues: NTSB

The NTSB said during the hearing that all eight of the older Lima-model Black Hawk helicopters used by the 12th Aviation Battalion had issues with their ADS-B, or local transmission systems, including the one involved in January’s crash.

The ADS-B systems had an issue in which they incorrectly entered time settings, hindering pilots’ abilities to transmit location data to other aircraft.

It was not discovered or fixed until after the crash on Jan. 29.

The Army has ordered 1,700 new ADS-B systems to upgrade its helicopter fleet, and the 12th Aviation Battalion will be prioritized for receiving these upgrades.

NTSB: Too early to place blame on anyone for the crash

Jennifer Homendy, NTSB chairperson, said people are often too quick to pin the blame on pilots when crashes happen. She said when people are in the air and know they have a margin of error of 75 feet, they are moving too quickly to do the math.

“We look at man, machine and the environment in which they’re operating,” Homendy said. “It’s possible there was zero pilot error here.”

The Associated Press contributed to this report.