FAA Failures Blamed for Deadly D.C. Plane Collision

NTSB investigation finds systemic safety issues at FAA led to 2025 crash that killed 67 people

Jan. 27, 2026 at 8:15pm

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A National Transportation Safety Board review of the mid-air collision between an Army Black Hawk helicopter and an American Airlines regional jet in January 2025 found that the Federal Aviation Administration was plagued by systemic safety issues in the lead-up to the accident that killed 67 people. The investigation suggests the helicopter route was dangerously close to the path taken by civilian aircraft, and the FAA failed to conduct required safety reviews or respond to concerns raised by air traffic controllers.

Why it matters

The deadly crash highlights ongoing concerns about the FAA's safety culture and data analysis capabilities, as well as the agency's overreliance on AI to monitor aviation risks. The NTSB findings indicate the FAA has yet to learn from past mistakes, raising questions about the agency's ability to prevent future mid-air collisions.

The details

The NTSB found the FAA Air Traffic Organization had multiple opportunities to identify the risk of a mid-air collision between the helicopter and passenger jet at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, but failed to do so. Investigators said the FAA was supposed to conduct annual safety reviews of helicopter routes, but could not find evidence of such reviews. The FAA was also notified of 15,214 close-proximity events, 85 of which were serious, but only reviewed them on a case-by-case basis. Additionally, some FAA employees reported facing retaliation for raising safety concerns.

  • The mid-air collision occurred on January 29, 2025 over the Potomac River in Washington D.C.
  • In 2023, NTSB Chair Jennifer Homendy warned a U.S. Senate panel about an increase in serious near-miss aviation incidents.

The players

Federal Aviation Administration (FAA)

The U.S. government agency responsible for the regulation and oversight of civil aviation.

National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB)

An independent U.S. government investigative agency responsible for civil transportation accident investigation.

Jennifer Homendy

Chair of the National Transportation Safety Board.

Loren Groff

Chief data scientist at the National Transportation Safety Board.

Army

The U.S. Army, which operated the Black Hawk helicopter involved in the collision.

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What they’re saying

“The Federal Aviation Administration Air Traffic Organization had multiple opportunities to identify the risk of a mid-air collision between airplanes and helicopters at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport. However, their data analysis, safety assurance, and risk assessment processes failed to recognize and mitigate that risk.”

— Jennifer Homendy, Chair, National Transportation Safety Board

“This was 100% preventable.”

— Jennifer Homendy, Chair, National Transportation Safety Board

“They've got to be careful on the use of AI to pick up trends, to make sure it doesn't discount some reports.”

— Jennifer Homendy, Chair, National Transportation Safety Board

“There really does need to be a human understanding of what all of these things mean together.”

— Loren Groff, Chief Data Scientist, National Transportation Safety Board

“Commercial airlines have called me to say the next mid-air is going to be in Burbank, and nobody at the FAA is paying attention to us.”

— Jennifer Homendy, Chair, National Transportation Safety Board

What’s next

The NTSB has recommended the FAA establish a standardized definition of what constitutes a close-proximity event and improve its safety culture and data analysis processes to better identify and mitigate aviation risks.

The takeaway

The NTSB's findings underscore the need for the FAA to urgently address systemic safety issues, including overreliance on AI, inadequate safety reviews, and a lack of responsiveness to concerns raised by air traffic controllers. Preventing future mid-air collisions will require a fundamental shift in the FAA's safety culture and data-driven decision making.