Home / Disasters and Accidents / NTSB Probes Deadly 2025 Mid-Air Collision Cause
NTSB Probes Deadly 2025 Mid-Air Collision Cause
27 Jan
Summary
- NTSB meeting set to determine cause of January 29, 2025, helicopter-jet collision.
- The crash killed 67 people, sparking national aviation safety concerns.
- Investigation focused on military helicopter use of anti-collision technology.
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) is scheduled to convene a meeting to determine the probable cause of a fatal midair collision. On January 29, 2025, an Army Black Hawk helicopter and an American Airlines regional jet collided near the nation's capital, resulting in the deaths of 67 individuals.
This tragic incident, the deadliest commercial aviation accident in the U.S. in 16 years, significantly raised public concerns about aviation safety. In response, aviation officials implemented changes to military helicopter flight path rules around Washington, D.C., and pledged to deploy a new air traffic control system.
A year-long investigation by the NTSB involved extensive testimony and probing of potential contributing factors. Key areas of focus included the Army's initial reluctance to adopt anti-collision technology like ADS-B and why the FAA permitted military helicopter pilots to operate without it. The investigation also revealed that the air traffic control tower failed to alert the regional jet's pilots about nearby helicopter traffic.
