Critical Learning From Potomac Midair: Why ADS-B In Is Non-Negotiable

NTSB hearing on tragic collision highlighted numerous issues that different organizations had failed to address over many years.

Max Trescott

Thursday, October 02, 2025 at 08:00 AM ET

Verified

Edited By:

Travis Tingle

Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport [Credit: Mark Stebnicki/Pexels]

Key Takeaways:

The midair collision was identified as a systemic failure, resulting from numerous unaddressed safety recommendations and organizational deficiencies over many years, rather than just isolated mistakes.
Contributing factors included the Army Black Hawk's inoperable ADS-B Out system due to a software error, altimeter inaccuracies in the Black Hawk, and the regional jet's lack of ADS-B In capability and advanced traffic display features.
The article stresses that widespread adoption and full utilization of modern ADS-B In and Out systems, especially those with advanced relative motion traffic displays, could have almost certainly prevented the accident.

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I spent three full days listening to the National Transportation Safety Board hearings into the midair collision of an Army Black Hawk helicopter and a regional jet over the Potomac that killed 67 people. There was over 30 hours of testimony, with the final day wrapping up at 10 p.m..

I then pulled the most interesting audio clips from each day and posted them on my new NTSB News Talk podcast that I cohost.