Congressional report critical of military actions in January crash near Reagan National
A new congressional report is out on the midair collision in January between an Army Black Hawk helicopter and a commercial jet at Reagan National Airport. It’s critical of the actions of the military pilots in the crash that killed 67 people.
The report from the House Subcommittee on Military and Foreign Affairs lists five issues that may have contributed to the Jan. 29 crash.
It found there were communication issues between the Black Hawk helicopter and Reagan National’s air traffic control tower that contributed to the crash.
Night vision goggles also limited the helicopter pilots’ ability to see the incoming American Airlines passenger plane, and a navigation device (Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast Out) intended to provide the Black Hawk’s location to other aircraft was turned off.
According to the report, the Army lacked specific knowledge about navigating Reagan National’s airspace. In addition, a hotline between the defense department and Reagan National was offline that night, preventing direct communication between the Pentagon and the airport, showing the broader breakdown of critical air traffic coordination.
“Had they been using the ADS-B, had they not been using their night vision goggles, this accident, this crash, probably doesn’t happen,” said WTOP anchor Dan Ronan, who’s also a pilot and aviation expert.
Ronan said it was critical for the Army to have a basic understanding of the Reagan National airspace.
“You have to have a real understanding, especially in this airspace, of every intersection, of every altitude change, you have to know this like you know the back of your hand,” he said. “If you don’t, you shouldn’t be flying in it.”
Suhas Subramanyam, D-Va., ranking member of the House Subcommittee that released the report and chairman of the committee, William Timmons, R-S.C., recommended in a statement that the Department of Defense Inspector General conduct a comprehensive evaluation of all operations in civilian airspace within the U.S., with an emphasis on safety, coordination and compliance.
“The tragic accident at DCA on January 29th and thirty near misses overall have revealed that the military’s current operations fall woefully short of keeping both military personnel and American civilians safe in Washington, D.C. airspace,” the lawmakers said in the statement.
The report also points out the Pentagon has made changes since the crash, such as reestablishing a phone hotline to Reagan National for better communication, limiting flights in the airspace and requiring navigation systems to be turned on during training missions.
The report comes after the Senate passed the ROTOR Act last week. It’s a bill designed to tighten aviation safety rules following the deadly midair collision. The legislation limits the U.S. Army’s ability to fly helicopters without broadcasting their location.
The NTSB final report on the cause of the crash is expected to come out sometime in 2026.