NTSB Issues Recommendations After Fatal D.C. Collision

Investigators push for adoption and use of ADS-B Out and In.

Meg Godlewski

Wednesday, February 18, 2026 at 11:30 AM ET

Verified

Edited By:

Zach Vasile

The air traffic control tower at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (KDCA). [Shutterstock/TJ Brown]

Key Takeaways:

The NTSB's final report on the January 2025 midair collision near Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport primarily attributed the accident to the FAA's flawed helicopter route placement, overreliance on visual separation, and the Army's failure regarding pilot awareness of altimeter limitations.
A top recommendation is the mandatory installation and use of ADS-B In, alongside ADS-B Out, and airborne collision avoidance systems on aircraft to significantly enhance pilot situational awareness and facilitate evasive action.
Further recommendations include improved scenario-based training and workload management for air traffic controllers, better data sharing to depict military routes on civilian charts, and a comprehensive review of helicopter route structures to safely deconflict traffic.

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The installation and use of ADS-B In aboard aircraft in addition to the use of ADS-B Out tops the list of recommendations made by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) in its final report on the midair collision near Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (KDCA) in January 2025.

The use of ADS-B Out and ADS-B In can give pilots better situational awareness as they can “see” where other traffic is, provided that traffic is also using ADS-B Out and In.