Investigators say the crew of the helicopter that collided midair with an American Airlines jet might not have heard key air traffic controller instructions.

National Transportation Safety Board officials said Friday that a key transmission from Reagan National Airport’s air traffic control tower may not have been heard by Army Black Hawk helicopter pilots just before they were collided with an American Airlines regional jet last month,

The National Transportation Safety Board said the helicopter’s cockpit voice recorder didn’t capture key directions from air-traffic control and is investigating whether the crew might have seen a different altitude on the flight instruments.