The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has released troubling findings regarding last week’s helicopter crash in Washington, D.C., which resulted in the deaths of 67 individuals. NTSB Chairman Jennifer Homendy criticized the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) for overlooking safety concerns.
The NTSB has questioned officials from the FAA and U.S. Army about the series of events leading to the collision between a Black Hawk helicopter and a passenger jet near Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport. These incidents have been described as “three days that are sometimes controversial.”
Among the victims were 64 passengers and crew members, which included a group of young figure skaters, their coaches, and family members who were returning from Wichita, Kansas.
Unfortunately, there were no survivors from the helicopter, and all three crew members lost their lives in this tragic event.
During last week’s hearings, it was revealed that the altimeter gauge on the Black Hawk was malfunctioning. Air traffic controllers had previously warned about the heightened risks associated with helicopters operating close to landing aircraft.
“Are you kidding me? 67 people are dead! How do you explain that? Our bureaucratic process?” Homendy expressed to FAA officials during the hearing. “Fix it. I’ll do it better.”
According to reports, the helicopter was flying at 278 feet—well above the route’s ceiling of 200 feet—when it struck the passenger plane. Investigators noted that pilots might not be aware that their barometric altimeter readings were actually 80-100 feet lower than what the flight data recorder indicated.
The NTSB discovered similar discrepancies in the altimeters of three additional helicopters from the same unit.
The reports indicated that a working group within the FAA had recommended adding warnings to the helicopter charts in 2022, which would have highlighted the risks of using Reagan’s secondary runway, but the FAA did not act on this suggestion.
A complaint from the 2022 working group stated, “Helicopter operations occur in proximity that has led to safety events. These incidents are on the rise year after year.”
Other discussions about modifying helicopter routes also did not lead to any changes.
Local radar facility officials have repeatedly called on the FAA to limit the number of planes taking off from Reagan due to safety concerns.
“All the signs indicated that there was a safety risk, and the tower was communicating that,” one official remarked.
Following the crash, the FAA transferred its manager from Reagan Airport but did not acknowledge being warned about potential dangers, according to reports.
“What you did was transfer personnel instead of owning the fact that everyone in the FAA at the tower recognized there was a problem,” Homendy commented. “Yet you’re pointing out that it’s just our bureaucratic process. Someone should have nurtured it in another symposium.”
Both the FAA and the Army reportedly tried to deflect responsibility, and it’s expected that the NTSB’s final report next year may not pinpoint a single cause for the crash.
“I think this has been a significant week of reflection for the FAA and the U.S. military,” stated Jeff Gutsetti, an aviation safety consultant and former crash investigator.
