The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has initiated a three-day investigative hearing to examine the circumstances surrounding a tragic mid-air collision involving a PSA Airlines operated American Eagle flight and a US Army Black Hawk helicopter.
On January 29, 2025, 64 individuals aboard the American Eagle Bombardier CRJ700, along with three crew members from the helicopter, lost their lives during the incident above the Potomac River, adjacent to Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA).
The NTSB has confirmed that the hearing is scheduled to take place from July 30 to August 1, 2025, and will feature multiple witnesses providing testimonies.
This hearing will be conducted in the NTSB boardroom in Washington, where it is also set to be livestreamed. Participation will be limited to NTSB board members, investigators, witnesses, and involved parties.
According to a statement released by the NTSB on June 10, 2025, “The NTSB conducts investigative hearings to assist in obtaining information necessary to determine the facts and circumstances of transportation accidents or incidents under investigation.”
On February 14, 2025, NTSB Chair Jennifer Homendy indicated that 17 seconds prior to the collision, an Air Traffic Control (ATC) directive instructing the Black Hawk crew to pass behind the PSA Airlines CRJ700 was received by both aircraft’s Cockpit Voice Recorder (CVR).
However, analysis of the CVR data from the helicopter suggested that the critical portion of the transmission stating “pass behind the” may not have been effectively communicated to the Black Hawk crew.
Additionally, the NTSB has previously noted that the radio altitude of the Black Hawk at the moment of the crash was measured at 278 feet, exceeding the 200 feet restriction for that particular area.
Another point of discussion anticipated during the hearing pertains to the fact that the Black Hawk helicopter was not equipped with Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B) technology at the time of its collision with the passenger aircraft.
Based on an article from aerotime.aero: https://www.aerotime.aero/articles/ntsb-hearing-crash-black-hawk-american-eagle
