Military leadership was aware of deficiencies in Black Hawk helicopters, including faulty altitude-reading instruments, yet failed to address them before a fatal midair collision over Washington D.C. that killed 67 people, according to an Army report.
The crash occurred on January 29, 2025, when an American Airlines flight and a U.S. Army Black Hawk helicopter collided over the Potomac River near Ronald Reagan National Airport. The incident involved American Airlines flight 5342, a CRJ700 Bombardier carrying 60 passengers and four crew members from Wichita, Kansas, many of whom were associated with the U.S. figure skating community.
The Army report, completed in May, identified several systemic failures as contributing factors to the crash, which was the deadliest commercial aviation accident in the U.S. in nearly 25 years. A key issue was the failure of two radio transmissions, preventing the helicopter crew from receiving critical air traffic control information. Additional problems included technical issues with the Black Hawk helicopter itself and a pattern of helicopter crews not meeting semi-annual flight hour minimums.
According to a copy of the report obtained by The Washington Post, the Army knew about the malfunctioning altitude-reading instruments on older Black Hawk models, including the one involved in the collision, but did not rectify the problem or inform pilots. The report also indicated that the Army had not collected data on near misses or adequately trained pilots for the risks associated with the busy Washington airspace.
The Army report stated that the routes for military and civilian aircraft were separated by only 75 feet, a finding consistent with an earlier report from the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). In its findings, the Army acknowledged the need to "implement and continue to grow as a learning organization and strengthen its safety culture."
The NTSB previously released an animation depicting the final moments from the perspective of the jet's cockpit, showing pilots navigating in darkness and landing with night vision assistance. The animation suggested that air traffic controllers did not adequately warn the aircraft of their impending collision course with the helicopter.
On the night of the crash, a single air traffic controller was reportedly managing both helicopter traffic and incoming planes, a duty that should have been divided. The Black Hawk helicopter's pilot, Captain Rebecca Lobach, and co-pilot, Chief Warrant Officer Andrew Loyd Eaves, acknowledged a transmission before requesting permission to proceed using "visual separation," a method where pilots rely on their own observations to avoid collisions rather than direct air traffic control instructions. This suggests Lobach had visually identified the approaching plane, and her request was granted. However, the helicopter continued on a path that dangerously neared the commercial jet's descent path.
Just 15 seconds before impact, air traffic control instructed Lobach to turn left after a command to "pass behind" the oncoming aircraft. The Black Hawk did not alter its course. Seconds later, Eaves repeated the air traffic control instruction to Lobach, but the helicopter did not change its path. The collision occurred at 8:47:59 p.m. ET.
Following the incident, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) implemented restrictions on helicopter traffic around Reagan National Airport, addressing concerns about insufficient separation between helicopters and planes on a secondary runway approach path. However, the NTSB has expressed dissatisfaction with the FAA's response to many of its safety recommendations.
FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford testified before Congress in September, stating that his agency would work to address concerns but required congressional guidance. Measures have been put in place to prevent helicopters and planes from sharing the same airspace near Reagan Airport, and air traffic controllers are no longer permitted to rely solely on pilots for aircraft separation. Despite these changes, other incidents have occurred, including an instance in August where an airline jet was cleared for takeoff as President Donald Trump's helicopter was departing the White House.