NTSB holds contentious hearing on fatal passenger jet collision with Black Hawk near DCA

A National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) public hearing on 30 July 2025 brought new scrutiny to the 29 January midair crash that killed sixty-seven near Washington National Airport, reports the New York Times. The collision, involving an Army UH-60L Black Hawk and an American Airlines commuter flight, highlighted instrument malfunctions and procedural failures, according to testimony.

Investigators are focusing on discrepancies in the Black Hawk's barometric altimeter, the primary altitude gauge, which could be off by as much as 130 feet over the Potomac River. According to Army testimony, such variances have been documented since the 1980s, but were not previously viewed as critical. NTSB analysis suggests these errors may have led the helicopter crew to believe they were at a safe, lower altitude—while actually crossing into the jet’s path.

A working group flagged the busy Route 4 helicopter corridor and its risky overlap with jet approaches, but proposed changes were stymied at the FA. “It never got through the bureaucracy,” NTSB Chair Jennifer Homendym said.

The controller on duty rerouted the American jet to Runway 33 and unexpectedly cleared the Black Hawk to cross the approach path rather than holding it—against standard practice, pilots told the NTSB.

NTSB board members sharply criticized the FAA for delayed reforms and slow document delivery, urging intensified efforts to fix safety gaps: “Sixty-seven people are dead. How do you explain that?... Fix it. Do better,” said Homendy.

Final NTSB recommendations are expected early next year.