Key Takeaways from NTSB’s Preliminary Report on Deadly Midair Collision in Washington, D.C.

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has recommended banning helicopter traffic from a four-mile stretch over the Potomac River during landings at Ronald Reagan National Airport. Hours later, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy agreed to adopt the recommendation and extend existing flight restrictions that were put in place after the January midair collision.

The urgent safety recommendation is part of the NTSB’s preliminary report on the deadly crash between a passenger jet and a U.S. Army Black Hawk helicopter, which killed 67 people—the deadliest U.S. aviation accident in nearly two decades.

At a press briefing, NTSB Chair Jennifer Homendy described the existing helicopter operations in the area as posing an intolerable risk to safety. Duffy had previously restricted helicopter traffic around the airport and over the Potomac River until the end of March and confirmed that the restrictions would remain in place.

Currently, helicopter traffic is permitted in the same airspace as landing planes, leading to flight delays and diversions, particularly for high-priority flights such as Marine One when President Donald Trump leaves the White House.

“We remain concerned about the significant potential for a future midair collision,” Homendy said, emphasizing the need for urgent action.

Collision Details and Initial Findings

The accident occurred on January 29 under clear skies in one of the most tightly controlled airspaces in the U.S.

American Airlines Flight 5342 was moments from landing when it was struck on the right side by the Black Hawk helicopter at an altitude of approximately 300 feet.
The Black Hawk crew was on a training mission at the time of the accident.
Preliminary analysis of flight data and cockpit voice recordings suggests the helicopter’s altimeter may have been inaccurate, and the pilots may not have heard some transmissions from Reagan National Airport’s control tower.

The report does not determine the probable cause of the accident—that process is expected to take over a year.

The victims included American Airlines pilots Jonathan Campos and Samuel Lilley, two flight attendants, and several members of the U.S. figure skating community, according to friends, family, and sports groups.

American Airlines issued a statement expressing its continued mourning for the victims and supporting the NTSB’s urgent safety recommendations to restrict helicopter traffic near the Washington, D.C., airport.

NTSB’s Key Safety Findings – Helicopter Routes Near the Airport Pose a Safety Risk

The NTSB has recommended that Helicopter Route 4, which the Black Hawk was following at the time of the crash, be closed under certain conditions.

Homendy explained, “Urgent recommendations require immediate action to prevent similar accidents or incidents when we issue them. We believe a critical safety issue must be addressed without delay.”

Specifically, the recommendation states:

Helicopter operations on Route 4 between Hains Point and the Wilson Bridge should be prohibited when Reagan National’s runways 15 and 33 are in use for arrivals and departures.
The FAA should designate an alternative helicopter route to facilitate travel between Hains Point and the Wilson Bridge when that segment of Route 4 is closed.

Homendy expressed frustration over the tragedy, emphasizing that action should have been taken sooner given the known risks.

Duffy acknowledged the oversight, stating, “The data was there, but it wasn’t effectively analyzed to see that we had this kind of risk.”

Missed Warning Signs

The NTSB’s investigation revealed that thousands of near collisions had occurred at the airport in recent years, raising concerns about why the FAA failed to recognize the danger earlier.

15,214 near-miss events were recorded between 2021 and 2024, involving aircraft that came within one nautical mile of each other with a vertical separation of less than 400 feet.
85 incidents involved aircraft separated by less than 1,500 feet horizontally and less than 200 feet vertically.

“I think the question is, when this data comes in, how did the FAA not know? How do they not study the data to say, ‘Hey, this is a hot spot. We’re having near misses, and if we don’t change our way, we’re going to lose lives’?” Duffy said.

Currently, helicopters and planes can operate within 75 feet of each other during landings, a distance that Homendy described as insufficient and unsafe.

Military Pilots May Not Have Heard Control Tower

Preliminary findings from the Black Hawk’s cockpit recordings indicate that the helicopter crew may not have received all transmissions from air traffic control.

The report suggests the crew may not have realized they were flying higher than their designated altitude when the aircraft collided with the American Airlines jet.
One critical transmission from the tower, notifying that the jet was circling, may not have been received by the helicopter pilots.

Air Traffic Control Staffing Issues

The NTSB also highlighted concerns about air traffic control workload at Reagan National.

On the night of the collision, one controller was working two positions in the tower.
The controller had been handling both roles for more than five hours by the time of the crash.

When asked whether better staffing could have prevented the collision, Homendy declined to comment, saying, “That is part of our ongoing investigation.”

The American Airlines jet and the helicopter were communicating on separate frequencies, meaning the pilots of each aircraft could not hear each other’s transmissions. However, the controller’s instructions to both aircraft should have been audible to both crews, according to the report.

NTSB Recommendations vs. FAA Enforcement

The NTSB’s role is to make safety recommendations, but it does not have the power to enforce them. That responsibility falls to the FAA, airlines, airports, and other regulatory bodies.

Since its establishment in 1967, the NTSB has issued more than 15,500 recommendations, with aviation accounting for 38 percent of them.

The FAA has temporarily banned helicopter flights over six square miles near Reagan National since the accident.
There are currently 276 open NTSB aviation recommendations, and more than 1,000 recommendations that were closed with the designation of “unacceptable action.”

Some long-standing safety recommendations remain unaddressed.

Since 2013, the NTSB has recommended that flight data and cockpit voice recorders capture cockpit audio and images to provide a view of the cockpit and exterior surroundings.
In 2021, the board called for mandatory safety management systems for companies involved in aircraft design, manufacturing, and maintenance.
In 2023, the NTSB reiterated concerns that little progress had been made in implementing these recommendations.

Next Steps

With the FAA’s temporary flight restriction set to expire at the end of March, the agency must now decide whether to make the ban on helicopter operations over the Potomac permanent.

Meanwhile, investigators expect the full report on the crash to take more than a year, as they work to determine the probable cause and prevent future accidents in one of the busiest and most complex airspaces in the country.

Sources: AirGuide Business airguide.info, bing.com, yahoo.com

Tags: SyndicEx250323B