Day 2 of federal investigation into fatal midair crash of Army chopper, commercial plane opens
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FAA didn't add warning to helicopter charts, official says
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NTSB Chairwoman Jennifer Homendy said an FAA working group raised concerns about all the helicopter traffic around Reagan airport and the risk of a collision in 2022, but the FAA refused to add a warning to helicopter charts urging pilots to use caution when this runway was in use.
'This is the very event that this would have been the cautionary note for,' she said.
Video and animation presented during the proceeding's first day showed the helicopter flying above the 200 feet (61 meters) altitude limit before colliding with the plane.
Investigators said Wednesday the flight data recorder showed the helicopter was actually 80 feet to 100 feet (24 to 30 meters) higher than the barometric altimeter the pilots relied upon showed they were flying. So the NTSB conducted tests on three other helicopters from the same unit in a flight over the same area and found similar discrepancies in their altimeters.
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Dan Cooper with Sikorsky helicopters said that when the Black Hawk helicopter involved in the crash was designed in the 1970s, it used a style of altimeter that was common at the time. Newer helicopters have air data computers that didn't exist back then that help provide more accurate altitude readings.
Chief Warrant Officer Kylene Lewis told the board that she wouldn't find an 80 to 100 foot discrepancy between the different altimeters on a helicopter alarming because at lower altitudes she would be relying more on the radar altimeter than the barometric altimeter. Below 500 feet (152 meters), Lewis said she would be checking both instruments and cross referencing them.
Army officials said a discrepancy of 70 to 100 feet (21 to 30 meters) between the Black Hawk's altimeters is within the acceptable range because pilots are expected to maintain their altitude plus or minus 100 feet.
Concern about distances between planes and helicopters
The greater concern is that the FAA approved routes around Reagan airport that included such small separation distances between helicopters and planes when planes are landing.
'The fact that we have less than 500 foot separation is a concern for me,' said Scott Rosengren, who is chief engineer in the office that manages the Army's utility helicopters.
During the two minutes before the crash, one air traffic controller was directing airport traffic and helicopters in the area, a task that involved speaking to or receiving communications from several different aircraft, according to the NTSB's History of Flight Performance Study.
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The air traffic controller had spoken to or received communications from the Black Hawk helicopter, an airplane that was taking off, an Air Force helicopter, an airplane on the ground, a medical helicopter and an inbound flight that was not the American Airlines plane that would crash.
'All aircraft could hear the controller, but helicopters could only hear other helicopters on their frequency and airplanes only other airplanes,' the report stated. 'This resulted in a number of stepped on transmissions as helicopters and airplanes were not aware when the other was communicating.'
Stepped on transmissions are those that are unheard or blocked because of other transmissions. The NTSB report provides a list of 29 separate communications between the airport tower and other aircraft during approximately the 1 minute and 57 seconds before the collision.
Previously disclosed air traffic control audio had the helicopter pilot telling the controller twice that they saw the airplane and would avoid it.
The animation ended with surveillance video showing the helicopter colliding with the plane in a fiery crash.
Investigations have already shown the FAA failed to recognize a troubling history of 85 near misses around Ronald Reagan National Airport in the years before the collision, and that the Army's helicopters routinely flew around the nation's capital with a key piece of locating equipment, known as ADS-B Out, turned off.
Associated Press writers Leah Askarinam, Ben Finley and Rio Yamat contributed to this story.
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Deadly DC plane crash was years in the making, air traffic manager tells NTSB
The deadly mid-air collision at Reagan Airport in January was years in the making, the operations manager of the DCA air traffic control tower on the night of the accident told the National Transportation Safety Board on Friday. "I don't think this accident occurred that night," Clark Allen, the operations manager, said at the investigative hearing. "I think it happened years before we've talked about, you know, resources, whether they were available or unavailable at certain time frames, folks being listened to or not being listened to at certain times. This was not that evening. It was a combination over many years that I think that built up to that evening." The NTSB concluded three days of hearings late Friday, during which the agency's investigators questioned officials from the Federal Aviation Administration, U.S. Army, American Airlines regional subsidiary PSA Airlines and other parties over January's mid-air collision between an American Airlines regional jet and an Army Black Hawk helicopter over Washington, D.C., that killed 67 people. It was the nation's first major commercial airline crash since 2009. During the hearings, the NTSB was told that the Army helicopter never heard the command from the air traffic controller to "pass behind the CRJ" as the transmission was stepped on. It was also revealed that the plane's pilots were not warned by the controller that there was a helicopter nearby or cleared to fly near the helicopter. The NTSB Chairwoman also called out the FAA for not sharing a full list of who was working in the control tower the night of the crash until July 6, months after the accident. Pilots likely didn't know how high they were The NTSB's investigation found discrepancies in the altitude data shown on radio and barometric altimeters on Army helicopters after conducting test flights following January's accident. It is likely that the helicopter crew did not know their true altitude due to notoriously faulty altimeters inside this series of Black Hawks, according to the investigation. At their closest points, helicopters and planes flew within 75 feet of each other near DCA, an astonishingly close number. During the hearings, the NTSB was told Army Black Hawks can often have wrong readings and a margin of error of +-200 feet. "I am concerned there is a possibility that what the crew saw was very different than what the true altitude was. We did testing in May that shows concerns with the altimeters, the barometric altimeters on the 60 Lima. So we are concerned, and it's something we have to continue to investigate how significant is 100 feet in this circumstance," Homendy told reporters on Wednesday. Army officials told the NTSB investigators that they plan to inform other military aviation officials of the altitude discrepancy by September, but NTSB board member Todd Inman criticized this for a lack of urgency. The Army officials said they are also addressing it by mentioning it in the public testimony. "I hope every Army aviator is not having to watch the livestream to figure out if there's a discrepancy in their altitudes and planes that are flying around," Inman said. Disconnect between DCA controllers and FAA leadership NTSB investigators and board members noted that there seems to be a "disconnect" between the information they are getting from the FAA officials versus what the employees have shared with them during the interviews. "What we're trying to understand is where the disconnect is because what we have is for example, reports from controllers today that are saying there were 10-15 loss of separation events since the accident," Homendy said. Tension in the tower Chair Homendy noted air traffic controllers crying during interviews with investigators following the crash, adding the controller whose voice is heard talking to the doomed aircraft has not returned to work. Tensions have been so high in the tower following the crash, a shouting match turned into a fist fight this spring, ending with a controller being arrested. Some employees say they feared getting transferred or fired if concerns were brought up to their superiors. "I hundred percent agree with you. There definitely seems to be some barrier in communication where the people that impacts it the most are not hearing the things that the FAA is moving forward on and that needs to be addressed. I agree," said Franklin McIntosh, acting chief operating officer of the Air Traffic Organization -- the operation arm of the FAA. "I wholeheartedly agree and I will commit to you and everyone on the board in the panel that I will start working this immediately to make sure whatever those barriers are occurring, that it stops," McIntosh said. "Clearly someone in the facility doesn't feel like they're getting the help that they should be getting and quite honestly if that word's not getting down, then we need to do a better job in breaking through whatever that barrier is." The FAA has pushed back on claims of employees being removed or transferred out of the tower as a result of the collision. "So we didn't remove anybody as a result of an accident," said Nick Fuller, acting deputy chief operating officer with the Air Traffic Organization. Homendy challenged that assertion saying, "I think many would disagree, since it was done pretty immediately. Also the NTSB had to weigh in several times to get people help in the tower." NTSB investigators also pressed FAA officials over controllers who manage DCA airspace feeling pressured to "make it work" due to the large volume of aircraft in the airspace near the airport. "We have many non-standard tools that we use in order to be able to bring a significant amount of airplanes into DCA, " said Bryan Lehman, air traffic manager at the Potomac Terminal Radar Approach Control, which manages air traffic control in the region, while also adding that they do take "pride in it," but that it gets too much after a certain point. Lehman also testified at the hearing that controllers sent a memo to their superiors in 2023 requesting a lower arrival rate for airplanes, but the concerns were dismissed and Congress approved more flights for DCA. ADSB policy for Army Despite calls from lawmakers and the NTSB for mandated Automatic Dependent Surveillance–Broadcast (ADSB) -- technology that makes the aircraft more visible to the tower, other aircraft and the public -- on all aircraft, including military aircraft, it remains a point of hesitation for the Army. All aircraft flying over 18,000 feet are required to have ADSB but certain aircraft, including military aircraft, are exempt from transmitting ADSB location when flying for security reasons. "I'm pretty sure most people are aware of the fact that it's inherently open source," Army Lt. Col. Paul Flanigen told the hearing panel on Friday. "It has some spoofing vulnerabilities which make it non-conducive for those sensitive missions, which not just the army, but all of DOD has to operate on." As previously reported by ABC News, the helicopter involved in the accident was not transmitting ADSB out, meaning it wasn't transmitting its location for other aircraft nearby to see where it was. A Traffic Alert and Collision Avoidance System (TCAS) -- which detects other aircraft in close proximity -- was also not installed in the helicopter, according to the investigation. The NTSB made a recommendation nearly two decades ago asking the FAA to require ADSB on all aircraft but it was not implemented. The point was brought up again during the hearings. "Does the FAA right now support requiring any newly manufactured aircraft registered in the U.S. be equipped with ADSB in?" Homendy asked. McIntosh said yes and showed support towards requiring aircraft to be equipped with ADSB out as well. Experts have said it's more effective when an aircraft is equipped with both ADSB in and out so they can transmit their location and also receive the location of other aircraft in its near proximity. A bill in Congress titled the "Rotor Act" was introduced earlier this week by Sen. Ted Cruz, which would require all aircraft, including military aircraft, to transmit ADSB location when flying. Notably, the newly appointed FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford and Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy were present at the news conference and showed their support towards the legislation. The NTSB's investigation into the cause of the accident continues and a final report is expected by January 2026. "We do this to improve safety certainly but we all do this with each of you in mind and your loved ones that were lost tragically with you in mind not just on the CRJ but also PAT 25 so we will continue on and hope to complete this investigation within a year," Homendy said in her closing remarks on Friday.
Epoch Times
2 hours ago
- Epoch Times
7 Revelations From Transport Safety Board's Hearings Into DC's Deadly Midair Collision
Critical data, reports, and interviews revealed more insight into how the crash occurred. A helicopter flies near the crash site of the American Airlines plane on the Potomac River near Reagan National Airport in Arlington, Va., on Jan. 30, 2025. A helicopter flies near the crash site of the American Airlines plane on the Potomac River near Reagan National Airport in Arlington, Va., on Jan. 30, days of 'fact-finding' hearings into a catastrophic crash between an Army Black Hawk helicopter and a commercial jet concluded on Aug. 1, with new information shedding light on the events leading up to the collision near Ronald Reagan National Airport in Washington earlier this year. The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), an independent agency tasked with investigating transportation accidents, has led the probe into the disaster, releasing preliminary reports in the months since the crash. The agency's final report, which will reveal the probable cause of the accident, is expected next year. Story continues below advertisement The three-day 'fact-finding' hearings hosted by the NTSB revealed critical details about the incident, including inconsistent altitude readings on the helicopter, persistent staffing issues at Reagan National Airport's air traffic control tower, and criticisms over the Federal Aviation Administration's (FAA) response to the disaster. Crew Had Inconsistent Readings While the NTSB had already determined earlier this year that the helicopter was above its 200-foot maximum allowed altitude for its route along the Potomac River, new details this week revealed that its crew Here are seven revelations from the NTSB's hearings into the midair the NTSB had already determined earlier this year that the helicopter was above its 200-foot maximum allowed altitude for its route along the Potomac River, new details this week revealed that its crew was operating with incorrect altitude data. The Sikorsky Black Hawk was equipped with a radio altimeter and a barometric altimeter. The first, which uses radio waves to determine altitude, is considered more accurate. However, panelists at the hearing on Wednesday said the crew was trained to use the barometric altimeter, which uses barometric pressure to determine distance from the ground. Story continues below advertisement Throughout its flight, the crew called out elevations to air traffic control that were roughly 80 to 100 feet lower than what their radio altimeter was recording, the NTSB said. Struggled to Hear Air Control Roughly two weeks after the collision occurred, the NTSB Investigators also tested three other helicopters of the same model after the collision and recorded similar discrepancies between the two altimeters, with the differences in altitude increasing when the rotors were two weeks after the collision occurred, the NTSB announced that the helicopter crew likely did not hear a critical air traffic control instruction in the moments before the crash. According to the aircraft's cockpit voice recorder data, the controller's instruction to 'pass behind' the CRJ700 jet was 'stepped on' when the crew engaged a microphone. However, that was not the only time the crew struggled to hear air traffic control. Story continues below advertisement At one point, the pilot asked her instructor if the control tower's audio was muffled. Then her instructor said after another exchange that he 'definitely didn't catch' what was said, and told the pilot, 'I'm glad you did.' Chair Rips Into FAA Jennifer Homendy, chairwoman of the NTSB, did not hold back this week when grilling officials from the FAA. Details emerged that a working group of air traffic controllers had suggested changes to the helicopter routes near Washington in 2022, but were told the addition of new collision risk areas, including to the helicopter route implicated in the crash, was 'too political.' Homendy ripped into the FAA, criticizing its response to the disaster as overly bureaucratic. Story continues below advertisement 'You know what FAA did after the accident … you transferred people out, instead of taking ownership over the fact that everybody in FAA in the tower was saying there was a problem,' she said. 'Are you kidding me? Sixty-seven people are dead. How do you explain that?' 'Fix it; do better,' Homendy added. Helicopter Not Using Location Tech A key location transmitting technology, known as ADS-B Out, was not engaged on the helicopter at the time of the crash. The Army has a policy of disabling the tracking technology during certain flights in the Washington area, including on sensitive or classified missions with commander approval. Story continues below advertisement It wasn't previously known if the Black Hawk crew had chosen to leave the technology off or if it was inoperable during the flight. NTSB investigators determined that the ADS-B Out systems on the Army's fleet of older Black Hawk helicopters were not working due to a time-setting issue. While the army has purchased new ADS-B systems to upgrade its fleet, it's not clear if using the technology would have helped avoid the crash. Testimony on Friday indicated that the CRJ700 jet did not have ADS-B In, which is needed to receive ADS-B Out signals. Story continues below advertisement Since the crash, the FAA has mandated that all aircraft use ADS-B In and Out. On Tuesday, Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) introduced legislation that would mandate it on all aircraft. Chronic Staffing Issues at Tower While The Epoch Times has previously reported on the nationwide shortage of air traffic controllers since the years following the COVID-19 pandemic, new details this week revealed that the control tower at Reagan National Airport was The military would have to request an exemption to turn it off if Cruz's bill gets signed into The Epoch Times has previously reported on the nationwide shortage of air traffic controllers since the years following the COVID-19 pandemic, new details this week revealed that the control tower at Reagan National Airport was chronically understaffed FAA Deputy Chief Operating Officer Nick Fuller defended the staffing levels and suggested the control tower was nearly fully staffed on the night of the collision. Story continues below advertisement However, a contractor hired by the FAA to conduct compliance verifications at the airport's control tower said it had 'always been on the lower number of staffing, not necessarily healthy.' He said the staffing was a 'concern,' but was rebuffed when calling for adding another operations manager and staff specialist to assist with the tower's workload. An NTSB investigator also criticized the FAA for overworking its controllers with a 'just make it work' mentality when fewer workers are available for high-demand tasks. American Airlines Boosted Flights The NTSB revealed that American Airlines had been increasing its number of flights during specific times within the hour, a practice known as 'front loading' and 'back loading.' Clark Allen, who was operations manager at Reagan National Airport when the accident occurred, said it was a concern for air traffic control. Story continues below advertisement Conversations were conducted between the control tower and the airline's scheduling team to address the schedule. Eric Silverman, who is an air traffic control and airfield operations manager for American Airlines, said the scheduling increase happened in early 2022, and 'then we made changes where we could within the FAA-mandated slot program.' Robert Clifford, the attorney representing family members of the crash victims, criticized American Airlines for the flight load. 'The evidence presented thus far reveals that American Airlines' actions to maximize [Reagan National] arrival rates and hourly operations that help drive its profits directly led to flight 5342 being switched from the runway one approach to the higher risk runway 33 approach where the runway was shorter and helicopter route 4 intersected the approach path,' Clifford told The Epoch Times. 'This put all 67 people into a perilous and disastrous collision course.' Story continues below advertisement American Airlines did not respond to a request for comment by publication time. FAA Allegedly Knew About Risks The NTSB alleged that the FAA had known for years about serious safety risks in the airspace around Reagan National Airport, especially with the inclusion of military aircraft flights. 'Every sign was there that there was a safety risk, and the tower was telling you that,' Homendy said. Rick Dressler, an aviation site manager for Metro Aviation Inc. and a former Army aviator and retired Air Force officer, said his community was particularly concerned whenever the 12th Aviation Battalion was operating in the Washington airspace. That is the same battalion that was operating the Black Hawk helicopter on the night of the crash. Story continues below advertisement 'I don't like saying that [the] 12th aviation battalion gives us all pause in the community,' Dressler said. 'We are all very uncomfortable' whenever that battalion is operating in the area, he added. The Army did not respond to a request for comment by publication time.
Yahoo
6 hours ago
- Yahoo
Night vision goggles may have hindered helicopter pilots before DC jet collision that killed 67, experts say
Night vision goggles may have hindered the U.S. Army helicopter pilots in the moments before the deadly crash with a jet in Washington D.C., that claimed the lives of 67 people, experts have said. The technology, worn by the pilots, would have made it difficult to see the color of the lights on the passenger plane, which could have helped determine the direction in which it was traveling, as well as limiting peripheral vision. Friday saw the final day of public testimony to the National Transportation Safety Board over the fatal midair crash – which occurred almost exactly six months ago in February. Flight 5342 from Kansas was on the final approach to D.C.'s Ronald Reagan National Airport when it collided with the Black Hawk helicopter before exploding. There were 67 people aboard the two flights when they crashed, and none survived. At Friday's hearing, experts said that, in addition to the possible hindrance caused by the use of night vision goggles, pilots also may not have been able to distinguish the aircraft from lights on the ground while the two aircraft were on a collision course. The helicopter pilots may not have known where to look for a plane that was landing on a secondary runway that most planes didn't use, experts said. 'Knowing where to look. That's key,' said Stephen Casner, an expert in human factors who used to work at NASA. Though it is still too early to identify what exactly caused the crash, with a final report from the board expected next year, a number of factors that may have contributed to the tragedy have been unearthed over the past two days of testimony. Major issues to emerge included the fact that the Black Hawk helicopter had been above prescribed levels near the airport as well as the warnings to FAA officials for years about the hazards related to the heavy chopper traffic there. Mary Schiavo, a former U.S. Department of Transportation Inspector General, told The Associated Press that both the Army and the FAA appear to share significant blame for the deadly incident. The Black Hawks' altimeters could be off by as much as 100 feet and were still considered acceptable, she told the outlet. The crew was flying an outdated model that struggled to maintain altitude, while the helicopter pilots' flying was 'loose' and under 'loose' supervision. 'It's on the individuals, God rest their souls, but it's also on the military,' Schiavo said. 'I mean, they just seem to have no urgency of anything.' Questions were also raised during the hearings by the FAA's lack of alcohol testing for air traffic controllers after the crash. Board Chairwoman Jennifer Homendy urged the Federal Aviation Administration to 'do better" as she pointed to warnings the agency had ignored years earlier. The D.C. collision was the first in a string of crashes and near misses this year that have alarmed officials and the traveling public, despite statistics that still show flying remains the safest form of transportation.
