Report: Pilot of Black Hawk in Fatal Collision Failed to Heed Instructions

Army helicopter pilot involved in a deadly January crash may not have changed course as directed.

Jack Daleo

Monday, April 28, 2025 at 04:22 PM ET

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Jack Daleo

Pilot error may be among the factors that caused a collision between a U.S. Army helicopter and commercial passenger jet in January, per a New York Times report. [Courtesy: Nicholas Priest/U.S. Air Force]

Key Takeaways:

The fatal collision involved multiple contributing factors, including pilot error by the Black Hawk crew, who reportedly failed to follow an instructor's directive to turn left and may have missed critical air traffic control (ATC) instructions.
Air traffic control (ATC) shared responsibility due to the controller's handling of visual separation procedures, abnormal staffing conditions in the tower, and difficulty tracking the Black Hawk, which had its ADS-B Out system disabled.
Systemic safety issues at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (KDCA), such as inadequate vertical separation in congested airspace and a history of close calls, also played a role, leading the FAA to implement immediate recommendations from the NTSB.

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Pilot error may have played a role in the January collision between a U.S. Army UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter and Bombardier CRJ-700 jet operating American Eagle Flight 5342, which killed all 67 people aboard both aircraft.

According to a New York Times report, Captain Rebecca Lobach—who was piloting the Black Hawk for an annual evaluation flight in the airspace near Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (KDCA)—failed to heed a directive from her instructor. It is unclear why Lobach did not turn left as instructed, which would have increased separation between the two aircraft.