Investigation into January Air Collision Reveals Critical Altitude Data

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has released findings regarding a fatal air collision in Washington, DC, from January 29, 2025. This incident involved a military Black Hawk helicopter and an American Airlines regional flight arriving from Wichita, Kansas. Tragically, 64 people on the plane and three aboard the helicopter lost their lives.

Following the investigation, the NTSB revealed that the helicopter had received inaccurate altitude data, causing it to fly higher than intended. Specifically, the barometric altimeter indicated it was at an altitude lower than it actually was—by about 80 to 130 feet.

“We are committed to seeing what happened, how it happened, and to prevent it from happening again,” said NTSB Chairman Jennifer Homendi during the hearing’s opening.

The first day of the hearing revolved around the helicopter’s navigation systems and altimeter performance. Animation played at the hearing illustrated that the Black Hawk was flying above the 200-foot altitude limit allowed along most routes by the Potomac River.

“What the crew sees can be very different from true altitude,” Homendy commented.

Army officials clarified that variations of 70-100 feet within the acceptable altitude range are seen as permissible, as pilots are expected to maintain altitudes within ±100 feet of the designated value. Additionally, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) had approved the route around Reagan National Airport, which raised concerns about the vertical separation between the helicopter and the plane during landing.

“In my opinion, the amount of clearance between the helicopter route and the aircraft potentially passing over it was a concern,” Army helicopter test pilot Kylene Lewis noted.

During the session, the NTSB presented around 10,000 pages of evidence, including cockpit recordings from both aircraft, air traffic control transcripts, and audio clips of communications leading up to the crash. At one point, the air traffic controller asked the American Airlines pilot to switch runways just as he visually identified the landing strip.

In a moment of hesitation, the pilot admitted, “I really don’t want to, but I guess…” While the investigation continues, the NTSB plans to call additional witnesses, including control tower staff and FAA personnel, over the remaining days of the three-day hearing.