The analysis by The New York Times provides a 3-D visualization to enhance understanding of the Black Hawk pilots' views prior to their crash with a commercial aircraft. It notes that during nighttime operations, pilots may not have a clear visual indication of their altitude or the geographical features below them, complicating situational awareness. Furthermore, it remains uncertain if the helicopter's instruments alerted the pilots to their unauthorized altitude, reflecting the complexities of the incident and highlighting that crash causes are not always straightforward.
From the outsider point of view, a path towards collision might seem obvious, but things look different from a pilot's point of view at night.
The pilots' view of the ground and river below would not have drastically changed to offer a visual cue that their helicopter had temporarily drifted into an unsafe path.
Whether the Black Hawk's instruments gave the pilots any indication that they were flying higher than authorized is unclear.
The maps and animation, just short of a flight simulator game, illustrate why the reasons for the crash aren't so obvious.
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