The Army goggles would have made it difficult to see the plane's colored lights, which might have helped the Black Hawk determine the plane's direction. The goggles also limited the pilots' peripheral vision as they flew near Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport.

The first of the National Transportation Safety Board’s three days of investigative hearings is underway to help determine what caused the deadly midair collision on January 29 between an Army helicopter on a training mission and American Airlines flight 5342 landing at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport.

The acknowledgement came during the second day of testimony held to discuss the collision of a commercial plane and Army helicopter in January that killed 67 people.

The Federal Aviation Administration said on Friday it is planning additional helicopter route changes near Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport after the January 29 mid-air collision of an American Airlines regional jet and an Army helicopter that killed 67 people.