Hearings by the National Transportation Safety Board will center on the tragic collision between an Army helicopter and a passenger jet, shedding light on important factors. Here's what you need to be aware of.
Midair Collision in Washington D.C.: Altimeter Discrepancies Cited as Key Factor
In a tragic turn of events, American Airlines Flight 5342 collided with an Army Black Hawk helicopter over Washington D.C. on January 1, 2025, resulting in the deaths of 67 people. This incident, the nation's deadliest plane crash since November 2001, has been primarily attributed to altimeter discrepancies that led to a lack of awareness about the helicopter's true altitude[1][2].
The helicopter's crew, which included Capt. Rebecca M. Lobach, Staff Sgt. Ryan Austin O'Hara, and Chief Warrant Officer 2 Andrew Loyd Eaves, may have had inaccurate altitude readings due to two types of altimeters in the helicopter, one relying on barometric pressure and the other on radio frequency signals[3]. The crew believed they were at different altitudes, with one thinking they were at 400 feet and the other at 300 feet[1]. This confusion prevented them from realizing the imminent danger of the collision.
Furthermore, the helicopter crew may have missed an air traffic control transmission instructing them to give way to the airliner because the pilot keyed their radio at the same time, potentially blocking out the message[1][2].
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has since taken steps to prevent similar incidents. In March, helicopters were permanently restricted from flying on the same route where the collision occurred[4]. The FAA has also banned some helicopter routes to ensure helicopters and planes no longer share the same airspace, but there have still been additional near misses in recent months[5].
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) will hold three-day hearings to delve deeper into the causes of the midair collision and propose measures to prevent such tragedies in the future[6]. The hearings aim to determine what went wrong and suggest ways to prevent similar midair collisions between passenger planes and military aircraft.
In a heartwarming gesture, a figure skating tribute event in Washington raised $1.2 million for the crash victims' families[7].
Unfortunately, this was not an isolated incident. Other recent crashes include a medical transport jet crashing in Philadelphia, a small commuter aircraft going down off western Alaska, a Delta plane crashing in Toronto, two small planes colliding in midair in Arizona, a New York City sightseeing helicopter crashing in the Hudson River, a small plane crashing in Boca Raton, Florida, an Air India passenger plane crashing in Ahmedabad, India, and a small plane crashing off the San Diego coast[8].
As the investigation continues, the hope is that the lessons learned from these tragedies will lead to safer skies for all.
References: [1] New York Times [2] CNN [3] Washington Post [4] FAA Press Release [5] ABC News [6] NTSB Press Release [7] USA Today [8] BBC News
- The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) hearings will not only focus on the causes of the midair collision in Washington D.C., but also propose ways to prevent similar accidents involving general-news incidents such as accidents or crashes in crime-and-justice categories, like the recent plane crashes reported by BBC News.
- As the capital city continues to deal with the aftermath of the tragic midair collision, political discussions around aviation safety, including preventing accidents in the capital's airspace, have gained prominence in public forums, similar to the increase in focus on political debates related to general-news topics such as climate change or immigration policies.
