‘They Didn’t Learn:’ Former Army Pilot Calls for Change

As the DOT eyes reforms, a Black Hawk veteran says Army aviation has ‘normalized unsafe acts’ after a crash that killed 67—including his son.

Ryan Ewing

Friday, May 09, 2025 at 07:00 AM ET

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Ryan Ewing

Black Hawk helicopter over Washington [Credit: U.S. Air Force/Nicholas A. Priest]

Key Takeaways:

A recent close call near Reagan National Airport involving an Army Black Hawk helicopter and two commercial jets sparked renewed safety concerns, particularly as it follows a fatal collision in January with another Black Hawk from the same battalion that killed 67 people.
The FAA claims the helicopter deviated from its planned route, while the Army maintains its crew followed published procedures, with the NTSB investigating the May 1 incident.
Victims' families, led by Tim Lilley (whose son died in the January crash), are advocating for significant aviation safety changes, including air traffic control modernization, and criticize the Army for a lack of transparency and for not learning from past incidents.
The Army's 12th Aviation Battalion has suspended flights to and from the Pentagon following the latest incident, amidst calls for a reevaluation of military helicopter operations in the congested D.C. airspace due to "normalized unsafe acts."

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On May 1, another close call made headlines near Reagan National Airport (KDCA) in Washington, D.C. This time, the incident involved two commercial jets—a Delta Air Lines A319 and a Republic Airways E170—and a Black Hawk helicopter from the Army’s 12th Aviation Battalion.

The helicopter’s crew took a “scenic route,” the FAA claimed, deviating from its planned route to the Pentagon. This divergence prompted a controller at Reagan National to call for go-arounds of the two jets.