Introduction
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) released a review of the January 29, 2025 mid-air collision that killed 67 people. The investigation found that the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) had systemic safety problems that allowed the crash to occur.
At a Glance
- 67 fatalities in the deadliest U.S. air crash since 2001.
- 15,214 close-proximity events reported to the FAA, 85 of which were serious.
- The FAA failed to conduct annual safety reviews of helicopter routes.
- 100% of the incident’s causes were deemed preventable.
FAA Safety Issues
The NTSB noted that the FAA’s Air Traffic Organization (ATO) had multiple opportunities to identify the risk of a collision between a helicopter and a commercial jet at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport. Yet the agency’s data analysis, safety assurance, and risk assessment processes did not recognize or mitigate that risk. The board said the FAA “was supposed to conduct annual safety reviews of helicopter routes, but evidence of such reviews was lacking.”
Investigation Findings
At a hearing, NTSB Chair Jennifer Homendy said the FAA notified the agency of 15,214 close-proximity events, 85 of which were serious. The board found that reviews of such near-collisions were done on a case-by-case basis, with data kept in the FAA’s own systems. Homendy told reporters, “This was 100% preventable.”
Incident Details
On January 29, 2025, over the Potomac River, an Army Black Hawk helicopter crashed into an American Airlines regional flight from Wichita, Kansas, as the jet was about to land at Ronald Reagan National Airport. The tower was managing both helicopter and flight traffic simultaneously and was understaffed, though there were enough personnel to separate control positions. The operations supervisor had been working a long shift, and the board suggested that the lack of mandatory relief periods for supervisory air-traffic control personnel may have contributed to poor performance.
FAA Root Causes
The NTSB found that the FAA had no standardized definition of a close-proximity event. The agency also failed to identify incompatibility between the error tolerances of barometric altimeters in helicopters and the helicopter route, allowing helicopters to regularly fly higher than intended and potentially cross into airplane paths. The board concluded that the FAA’s reliance on AI to sort through large volumes of pilot reports “needs a human understanding of what all of these things mean together.”
Army Root Causes
Investigators also highlighted failures in the Army’s aviation safety system. The Army did not allocate adequate resources to aviation safety management for D.C. area helicopter operations and lacked a positive safety culture. The board noted that the Army’s safety failures compounded the FAA’s systemic issues.
AI and Altitude Issues
Homendy warned about an overreliance on AI, saying the FAA “has to be careful on the use of AI to pick up trends, to make sure it doesn’t discount some reports.” Chief data scientist Loren Groff added that the FAA “has been using AI to sort through large volumes of pilot reports.” The helicopter was flying roughly 100 feet above its maximum altitude, and the crew may have seen a wrong altitude reading. The board also suggested that incorrect settings may be present on other Department of War aircraft.
Implications
The NTSB’s report signals a need for immediate action. The agency’s failure to learn from past near-miss incidents, as highlighted by Homendy’s remarks to a Senate panel in 2023, underscores a strained aviation system. Commercial airlines have reportedly warned the FAA that future mid-air collisions could occur in Burbank if corrective measures are not taken. The investigation calls for standardized definitions, mandatory relief periods, and a human-in-the-loop approach to AI-based safety monitoring.
Key Takeaways
- The collision was a direct result of FAA and Army safety culture failures.
- Data analysis and risk assessment processes did not identify the collision risk.
- AI reliance without human oversight contributed to missed safety signals.
- The incident underscores the urgency of revising safety protocols and ensuring proper staffing and relief schedules.
- The NTSB’s findings may prompt regulatory changes aimed at preventing future tragedies.
