Investigators say deadly midair collision near DC followed years of ignored warnings about traffic
The NTSB attributes the 67-fatality crash to ignored FAA warnings, dangerous helicopter routing, and overworked controllers managing congested airspace near Reagan National Airport.
- The NTSB this Tuesday opened its hearing following a year-long investigation into the Jan. 29, 2025 midair collision between an Army helicopter and American Eagle Flight 5342 near Washington, D.C., which killed all 64 passengers and crew aboard the airliner and 3 on the helicopter.
- NTSB investigators said a series of systemic failures at the Federal Aviation Administration allowed helicopters near the airport with insufficient safeguards, and the Black Hawk exceeded its 61-metre maximum route altitude, colliding at nearly 91 metres last year.
- NTSB simulations showed three viewpoints and communications, revealing a traffic peak of 12 aircraft handled by a single controller with a Collision Avoidance System warning.
- Last week, the Federal Aviation Administration enacted a permanent airspace change at Reagan National Airport , reduced hourly arrivals from 36 to 30, and increased staff while officials said they will consider additional NTSB recommendations as victims' families await meaningful change.
- Years of warnings preceded the crash, as NTSB Chair Jennifer Homendy said concerns were repeatedly squashed; the Aviation Safety Reporting System recorded 15,200 air separation incidents since 2021, and the crash was the deadliest U.S. aviation disaster in over 20 years.
113 Articles
113 Articles
Burbank Airport Officials Counter Accusation Against Safety
Hollywood Burbank Airport officials insisted Wednesday the facility is safe for passengers, one day after the chair of the National Transportation Safety Board suggested the airport could be the next to experience a mid-air collision due to the combination of airline and helicopter traffic in the area. “The safety of our guests, staff, tenants and all stakeholders while they are at Hollywood Burbank Airport is our top priority,” according to a s…
Heart-stopping simulation shows minutes leading up to fatal crash between airliner, helicopter · American Wire News
A terrifying visual simulation recreated the minutes leading up to the tragic collision of an American Airlines flight and a Black Hawk helicopter that claimed 67 lives in 2025. The animation, called the Aircraft Visibility Study, was shared on Tuesday by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) as it published its findings on the mid-air crash over the Ronald Reagan National Airport in Washington, DC. Watch: BREAKING: The NTSB has relea…
California airport could be site of a mid-air crash, airlines warn feds
Airline officials have warned of safety concerns at the Hollywood Burbank Airport, the chair of the National Transportation Safety Board said during a hearing Tuesday, Jan. 27, to determine the cause of a mid-air collision that killed 67 people in Washington, D.C. last year. NTSB Chair Jennifer Homendy told officials there were a series of failures by the Federal Aviation Administration before an American Airlines jet and Army Black Hawk helicop…
The U.S. Transportation Safety Agency publishes its report on the accident that killed 67 people a year ago.
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