Hearing Reveals Concerns About D.C. Airspace Before Fatal Collision

Local medevac operator says his team is ‘very uncomfortable’ when certain military helicopters are flying.

Zach Vasile

Tuesday, August 05, 2025 at 03:09 PM ET

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Zach Vasile

A U.S. Army Black Hawk flies over Washington, D.C. [Credit: Nicholas Priest/U.S. Air Force]

Key Takeaways:

An NTSB hearing revealed significant safety concerns over Washington D.C. airspace, citing a heavy reliance on challenging visual separation, especially problematic due to military aircraft (including the one involved in the collision) not broadcasting ADS-B.
The military Black Hawk involved in the collision was flying above its altitude limit, with its barometric altimeter found to be significantly inaccurate, leading investigators to question the acceptable safety tolerances for critical flight instruments.
Systemic issues within the FAA, such as air traffic controller shortages, high turnover, and a "make-it-work" mentality, contribute to unsafe conditions, compounded by NTSB concerns about the agency's transparency during the investigation.

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A hearing looking at the deadly collision of an American Airlines passenger jet and a military helicopter over the Potomac River in January unearthed a number of concerns about the safety of the airspace over Washington, D.C., with one witness calling it the “least safe” it has ever been.

The three-day session, organized and headed by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), touched on issues with air traffic control (ATC) operations, faulty instruments on military helicopters, and even concerns that the FAA may be holding back what it knows about the events leading up the crash, which killed 67 people.