FAA confronted over deadly DC crash by NTSB chair, with exclamation: "Is this a joke? 67 lives lost"
In the aftermath of the tragic midair collision between an Army Black Hawk helicopter and a regional American Airlines jet over Washington, D.C. on January 29, which claimed the lives of 67 people, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has been conducting an extensive investigation to uncover the causes and contributing factors.
The NTSB hearings have shed light on several significant procedural and technical failures from both the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the Army. According to Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, the NTSB had recommended requiring Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADSB) on all aircraft nearly two decades ago, a technology that could have potentially prevented the collision.
Investigators have revealed that the helicopter crew may not have known their true altitude due to faulty altimeters inside the series of Black Hawk helicopters like the one they were flying. Some Black Hawks often have wrong readings and a margin of error of +/-200 feet. This uncertainty about their altitude was reflected in the cockpit conversations, indicating possible faulty altimeter readings.
It is believed that the helicopter was flying above its designated 200-foot altitude limit, with radio altitude recorded at 278 feet at impact. Additionally, an incomplete radio transmission—due to the crew's microphone key being pressed—may have caused the helicopter crew to miss critical air traffic control instructions to move behind the jet.
The Army plans to inform Army aviators of the altitude discrepancies around mid-September, while the FAA has permanently restricted helicopter flights along the route where the collision occurred. The Army temporarily paused flights into and out of the Pentagon area while collaborating with the FAA to address safety issues.
NTSB Chair Jennifer Homendy strongly criticized the FAA for not taking sufficient ownership of the safety risks, urging both agencies to improve regulatory and operational oversight to prevent future collisions. Republican Sen. Ted Cruz has introduced legislation called "The Rotor Act," which would require all aircraft, including military, to transmit ADSB location when flying.
The hearings brought to light that the FAA and Army both had prior knowledge of safety concerns about the helicopter flight route, and that air traffic controllers were overwhelmed at the time of the collision. NTSB Board Member J. Todd Inman criticized the Army for its lack of urgency in addressing the discrepancies in the altitude readings.
The NTSB has also alleged that some FAA tower employees knew there was a problem with U.S. Army helicopters flying in close proximity to passenger aircraft near the airport. According to Homendy, there were over 15,000 close proximity events between helicopters and commercial aircraft at DCA between October 2021 and December 2024.
The investigation is ongoing, with a final report expected within about a year of the hearings. The NTSB has not yet committed to accepting the NTSB's recommendations and instead plans to take recommendations from their independent airworthiness organization. However, key implied actions include upgrading helicopter altimeter equipment, improving air traffic control communication protocols to avoid incomplete transmissions, enhancing controller staffing and workload management, and reassessing helicopter flight routes in congested airspace.
[1] NTSB Hearings on the Helicopter-Plane Collision at Washington Reagan National Airport [2] FAA Restricts Helicopter Flights After D.C. Crash [3] Army Pauses Helicopter Flights After Deadly Crash Near Washington Reagan National Airport [4] Investigators: Army Helicopter Crew Unaware of Jet's Approach
- The investigative hearings held by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) for the helicopter-plane collision at Washington Reagan National Airport have revealed significant procedural and technical failures from both the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the Army.
- The NTSB hearings have uncovered that the investigators believe the helicopter crew may not have known their true altitude due to faulty altimeters in their series of Black Hawk helicopters, leading to unreliable readings and potential uncertainty.
- In the aftermath of the tragic collision, the NTSB hearings have shed light on the helicopter's altitude being above its designated 200-foot limit, with radio altitude recorded at 278 feet at impact, and an incomplete radio transmission possibly causing the crew to miss critical air traffic control instructions.
- The video evidence from the NTSB hearings shows the Army plans to inform Army aviators of the altitude discrepancies around mid-September, while the permanent restriction of helicopter flights along the collision route by the FAA has heightened safety concerns.
- The hearings have brought to light general news of the FAA and Army both having prior knowledge of safety concerns about the helicopter flight route, as well as air traffic controllers being overwhelmed at the time of the collision.
- The ongoing NTSB investigation into the helicopter-plane collision includes recommendations to upgrade helicopter altimeter equipment, improve air traffic control communication protocols, enhance controller staffing and workload management, and reassess helicopter flight routes in congested airspace - all with the goal of preventing future accidents in the transportation industry, including aviation and car-accidents, as well as crime-and-justice matters like politics.
