NTSB Provides Update on Deadly DC Mid-Air Collision That Killed 67

A tragic mid-air collision near Washington, D.C.’s Ronald Reagan National Airport between an American Airlines jet and an Army Black Hawk helicopter has claimed 67 lives. New details from the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) suggest that communication failures and potentially inaccurate altitude readings may have contributed to the disaster.

Communication Breakdown in the Final Moments

NTSB Chairwoman Jennifer Homendy revealed that cockpit recordings from the Black Hawk indicate a critical radio transmission was interrupted—“stepped on”—just before the collision. According to Homendy, the interruption prevented the helicopter crew from hearing the complete instruction to “pass behind the…” the plane, as the microphone key was pressed at the same moment the message was being relayed. Additionally, part of another transmission, informing the crew that the jet was turning toward a different runway, might also have been missed.

Altitude Readings and Instrument Concerns

Investigators are examining conflicting altitude data reported in the cockpit minutes before the crash. One pilot stated the altitude was 300 feet (91 meters), while the instructor reported 400 feet (122 meters). The helicopter’s black box recorded a radio altitude of 278 feet (85 meters) at impact, though pilots typically rely on barometric altimeters for accurate readings. “We are looking at the possibility there may be bad data,” Homendy noted, raising serious questions about the reliability of the helicopter’s instrumentation.

Pilot Responsibilities and Evasive Actions

The helicopter was on a “check” flight that night, during which the pilot was undergoing an annual proficiency test—including a test on using night vision goggles, which investigators believe the crew was wearing throughout the flight. Retired airline pilot John Cox, CEO of Safety Operating Systems, explained that the helicopter pilots had accepted responsibility for maintaining “visual separation” from the jet two minutes prior to the collision. “At that moment, the helicopter becomes responsible for separation, period. If they suspected they’d missed any crucial information from the tower, they could have asked for it to be repeated,” Cox stated.

Meanwhile, experts like Professor William Waldock from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University pointed out that stepped-on transmissions—a phenomenon where an active microphone key blocks incoming communications—are a well-known issue in aviation. However, it remains unclear whether this lapse directly led to the crash.

Circumstances of the Collision

Preliminary investigations indicate that the collision occurred as the American Airlines jet was descending toward the helicopter. The jet executed a sharp upward maneuver in its final second—a last-ditch evasive action by the pilot—while the helicopter, flying well above its 200-foot limit for that location, was likely relying on conflicting altitude data. Waldock suggested that the use of night vision goggles may have further impaired the pilots’ peripheral vision, possibly causing them to lock onto a departing plane rather than the oncoming jet.

Profiles of the Crew and Victims

The Army described the Black Hawk crew as highly experienced and well-acquainted with the congested airspace over the nation’s capital. The crew was identified as:

Capt. Rebecca M. Lobach of Durham, North Carolina
Staff Sgt. Ryan Austin O’Hara, 28, of Lilburn, Georgia
Chief Warrant Officer 2 Andrew Loyd Eaves, 39, of Great Mills, Maryland
Friends and fellow service members remembered Lobach as “brilliant and fearless.” On the American Airlines side, 34-year-old pilot Jonathan Campos, who had flown from Wichita, Kansas, and was preparing to land, was at the controls. The jet’s passengers ranged from a group of hunters to students, parents from northern Virginia schools, and members of the Skating Club of Boston, all returning from a development camp following the 2025 U.S. Figure Skating Championships in Wichita.

Political Fallout and Ongoing Investigation

In the immediate aftermath of the crash, President Donald Trump publicly criticized the helicopter for flying too high and blamed federal diversity and inclusion efforts among air traffic controllers. Later, he attributed the tragedy to an “obsolete” air traffic control system—claims for which he could not provide supporting evidence when pressed by reporters.

Homendy warned that with the investigation only a few weeks old, it will likely take more than a year for the final NTSB report to be completed. “We have a lot of work to do,” she said, emphasizing that many critical questions still need to be answered.

This devastating collision, the deadliest plane crash in the U.S. since 2001, underscores the urgent need for improvements in aviation communication protocols and instrumentation reliability to prevent future tragedies.