Last month, a collision between a commercial aircraft and a military helicopter in Washington, D.C. resulted in the loss of 67 lives. Investigators revealed on Friday (January 14) that the helicopter crew may have misinterpreted altitude readings before the crash and missed a crucial air traffic controller instruction to “pass behind the aircraft,” ultimately leading to the tragic incident.
The Chairman of the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), Jennifer Homendy, told reporters that cockpit recordings from the Black Hawk helicopter indicated a possible interruption in radio transmissions prior to the crash, causing the crew to be confused about how to move to a different location.
“There was an interruption, it was overwritten,” she said, explaining that the helicopter crew couldn’t hear the instruction to “pass behind the” due to concurrent activation of the helicopter’s microphone key.
Homendy mentioned that the helicopter pilots may have also missed part of another communication where the tower informed the commercial plane about a change in runway direction.
She explained that on the night of the crash, the helicopter was undergoing a proficiency flight, with the pilots undergoing annual tests and night vision goggle proficiency checks. Investigators believe the crew wore night vision goggles throughout the flight, which might have made it difficult for them to distinguish between the lights of the commercial aircraft and distant city lights.
It will take over a year to obtain the NTSB’s final report on the crash. Homendy cautioned that many questions are still under investigation.
“Since the crash occurred, only a few weeks have passed,” she said, “There is still a lot of work to be done.”
This collision is the deadliest aviation disaster in the United States since 2001 when a jet crashed into a community in New York City after takeoff, resulting in the deaths of 260 people onboard and 5 on the ground.
William Waldock, a safety science professor at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, mentioned that pressing the microphone key can disrupt communication, which is a well-known issue in the aviation industry.
“This is not the first time this has happened and is one of the common problems with radio communication,” he stated. However, it is still unclear whether this directly led to the crash.
John Cox, CEO of Safety Operating Systems and a retired pilot, noted that helicopter pilots took on the responsibility of maintaining “visual separation” with the commercial plane two minutes before the incident occurred. If the pilots did not see the aircraft, it might have led the commercial plane to fly closer than permitted.
“At that moment, the helicopter pilot took on the responsibility to provide separation, making the aircraft maintain a safe distance from each other,” Cox stated, adding that if the pilots suspected they missed any crucial information from the tower, they could request the tower to repeat the message.
The collision likely occurred slightly below 300 feet as the commercial plane descended towards the helicopter, while the helicopter was flying well above the local 200 feet flight restriction.
Homendy mentioned that in the final minutes before the crash, there were conflicting altitude readings in the cockpit. The helicopter pilot indicated they were at 300 feet, but the instructor pilot said they were at 400 feet.
“We are investigating whether there might have been erroneous data,” she said.
Current Black Hawk models typically have two altimeters – one based on barometric pressure and the other relying on radio frequency signals reflected from the ground. While helicopter pilots usually rely on barometric readings during flight, the helicopter’s black box records the radio altitude.
During the collision, the radio altitude displayed 278 feet for the Black Hawk.
“But I want to point out that this may not necessarily match the barometric altimeter readings that the Black Hawk crew saw in the cockpit,” she stated.
Waldock mentioned that the helicopter pilots’ night vision goggles might have obstructed their peripheral vision, possibly focusing their attention on a plane that had just taken off before the collision.
“If they indeed fixated on the aircraft that was taking off and deemed it as the traffic they should avoid, they might have overlooked the approach of the other aircraft,” he explained.
Homendy revealed that in the last second before the collision, the commercial plane rapidly pitched up.
Both Waldock and Cox believe this was a last-ditch avoidance maneuver by the American Airlines pilot.
“This was a final effort to escape,” Waldock stated.
Military officials mentioned that the Black Hawk crew were experienced and accustomed to the congested skies around the U.S. capital.
The crew included Captain Rebecca M. Lobach from Durham, North Carolina; Staff Sergeant Ryan Austin O’Hara, 28, from Lilburn, Georgia; and Chief Warrant Officer Andrew Loyd Eaves, 39, from Great Mills, Maryland.
O’Hara served as the crew chief, while Eaves and Lobach were pilots.
Lobach’s friends and comrades praised her for being diligent, talented, and fearless.
The American Airlines plane took off from Wichita, Kansas, and was preparing to land when the crash occurred. The pilot, 34-year-old Jonathan Campos, had dreamt of flying since he was 3 years old, according to his loved ones.
Passengers onboard the aircraft included a group of hunters, students and parents from Northern Virginia schools, and members of the Boston Skating Club who had just participated in the 2025 U.S. Figure Skating Championships Development Camp for junior elite skaters in Wichita.
(Information referenced from Associated Press reports)