Federal Aviation Administration

The National Transportation Safety Board will hold a daylong public hearing Tuesday to scrutinize what caused the January 29, 2025 midair collision near Washington, D.C., between an American Airlines jet from Wichita and a U.S. Army Black Hawk helicopter that killed all 67 people aboard both aircraft in the icy Potomac River. Investigators have already identified key factors, including a poorly designed helicopter route past Reagan National Airport, the Black Hawk flying 78 feet above its assigned altitude, FAA warnings that went unheeded for years, and an Army decision to disable a system that would have more clearly broadcast the helicopter’s position. The Federal Aviation Administration imposed temporary changes shortly after the crash to separate helicopter and fixed‑wing traffic around the capital and last week made those changes permanent, but the NTSB is expected to recommend additional safety fixes. Families of the victims, including relatives of four members of the Livingston family and 28 figure‑skating community members who died, say they want clear, urgent recommendations and will pressure Congress, the Army and the Trump administration to implement them so similar accidents are prevented. Although public concern about aviation risk spiked after this and several other close calls, NTSB data show total crashes in 2025 fell to 1,405 nationwide, the lowest since 2020, underscoring an overall strong safety record even as this case exposes serious gaps in airspace design and military–civil coordination.