Buffalo, N.Y. (WBEN) - A local attorney says the investigation into the collision between an American Airlines plane and an Army helicopter will be a bit different because of it involves a military aircraft. He says contrary to President Trump's statement, probes usually take years to find a cause.
Robert Schreck of The Barnes Firm says historically, the NTSB gets involved immediately and takes over the site, and the FAA is also involved. He notes this one will be a little different. "Because of the military aircraft that was involved, the Army and the Department of Defense will also be involved in the investigation," says Schreck.
Schreck says these investigations take years before there's any final conclusion reached. "Many times the NTSB will come out maybe six months later with a preliminary opinion, but normally it takes years to do that," notes Schreck. He says he was listening to President Trump's news conference when he made a point of emphasizing this is going to be done quickly, and he'll be curious to see just how quickly a final conclusion is reached.
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Schreck says this investigation will be more challenging. "This will involve the pilot of the helicopter, the American Airlines crew, what took place there, what trajectory they were on to land and but it will also include the air traffic controllers, what directions were given to the helicopter and what directions were given to the airplane," says Schreck. "This one is a little bit more complicated than just an aircraft that goes down. So in spite of the President's assurance that will happen quickly, I would be surprised if it happens too quickly."
He notes the video from the Kennedy Center webcam showing the crash will not be conclusive as to a cause. "You have pretty clear visibility, and you can maneuver a helicopter much easier than you can maneuver a large aircraft. So it's somewhat surprising that the pilot of the helicopter didn't take evasive action. So that's going to be something that's going to really have to be determined why there wasn't more evasive action taken to avoid that collision. So the the video will be helpful, because it shows us where they were and why they were there, but it doesn't give us an answer," notes Schreck.
For families of the victims, Schreck advises not to wait until the NTSB completes the investigation before looking into possible legal action. "Obviously, there will be claims made. There were 60 passengers on the aircraft. There were the four crew members, all of which may have a claim if, in fact, the night Hawk helicopter or the Black Hawk helicopter was at fault," says Schreck. He advises anyone who anticipates bringing a claim should should do so as soon as possible.