New York magazine has been slammed over an article that rushed to blame the military pilots for the American Airlines plane crash tragedy in DC.
The magazine published the piece, titled - The D.C. Plane Crash Is No Mystery - on January 31, barely 48 hours after the air collision left 67 dead.
It read: 'A lot is unknown, but one basic fact is not: The helicopter pilot was at fault.'
Officials are yet to confirm which of the three military personnel on board was actually flying the Black Hawk when it collided with the regional American Airlines jet.
The investigation remains ongoing, with new information emerging daily about what could have gone wrong.
Still, aviation journalist Jeff Wise cast the blame on an unnamed Army pilot, writing: 'It was quite clearly the Army Black Hawk helicopter that was not where it was supposed to be.
'While it may be the case that the tower was not properly staffed or that the airport’s resources are chronically overtaxed, neither of these things played a role in the crash that took the lives of 67 passengers and crew.'
Ironically, Wise started the piece by writing, 'When air accidents happen, it’s important not to rush to judgment.'
Instagram users took to the comments section to shame the magazine for its early condemning of the Army pilots, who have been identified as Chief Warrant Officer 2 Andrew Loyd Eaves, 39 and Cpt. Rebecca M. Lobach, 28.
One person wrote: 'Not just one person is at fault. Do your research. This is a system with broken safety nets due to overworked employees and stingy staffing.'
Another added: 'NY Mag - are you tabloids? Is this an editorial?'
A third said: 'Posting a piece like this seems to fall somewhere between libelous and wildly careless. This isn't journalism. It's your drunk uncle ranting during the dinner he wasn't invited to.
NY magazine declined to comment when contacted by DailyMail.com on Monday.
Over the weekend it was revealed that the pilots of the doomed American Airlines jet made a last ditch bid to save their passengers just moments before the fatal crash with an Army Black Hawk helicopter.
Captain Jonathan Campos, 34, and First Officer Samuel Lilley, 28, tried to pull the plane's nose up in the last few seconds before Wednesday's crash, preliminary data from the plane's flight recorder has revealed.
'At one point very close to the impact, there was a slight change in pitch, an increase in pitch,' National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) member Todd Inman said in a press conference Saturday night.
The NTSB also revealed that preliminary data showed conflicting readings about the altitudes of the airliner and the helicopter.
Data from the jet's flight recorder showed its altitude as 325ft, plus or minus 25ft, when the crash happened, Inman told reporters, but data in the control tower showed the Black Hawk at 200ft.
The discrepancy has yet to be explained, but if the impact did occur at 325ft, the crash would have occurred well-above the maximum allowed altitude of 200ft for helicopters in the area.
Investigators 'currently don't have the readout from the Black Hawk' so they cannot provide information about the altitude at which the helicopter was flying, but Inman said that 'obviously an impact occurred, and I would say when an impact occurs, that is typically where the altitude of both aircraft were at the moment.'
First responders confirmed Sunday that 55 of the 67 victims of America's deadliest crash since 2001 have been identified. Officials are also scheduled to undertake a 'lifting operation' on Monday to remove the wreckage from the river.
Investigators said they hoped to reconcile the difference with data from the helicopter's black box and planned to refine the tower data, which can be less reliable.
'This is a complex investigation,' investigator in charge Brice Banning said. 'There are a lot of pieces here.'
Banning said the jet's cockpit voice recorder captured sound moments before the crash.
'The crew had a verbal reaction,' Banning said, and the flight data recorder showed 'the airplane beginning to increase its pitch. Sounds of impact were audible about one second later, followed by the end of the recording.'
Full investigations typically take a year or more. Investigators hope to have a preliminary report within 30 days.
Inman added that he has spent hours meeting with victims' families.
'Some wanted to give us hugs. Some are just mad and angry,' Inman said. 'They are just all hurt. And they still want answers, and we want to give them answers.'
More than 300 responders were taking part in the recovery effort at a given time, officials said. Two Navy barges were also deployed to lift heavy wreckage.
