‘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 between an Army Black Hawk helicopter and commercial jets near Reagan National Airport (KDCA) has heightened safety concerns, coming just months after a fatal collision involving the same Army battalion and a commercial jet that killed 67 people.
Victims' families, notably Tim Lilley, are advocating for significant aviation safety changes, expressing deep frustration that the Army seems to have learned no lessons and is allegedly "stonewalling" inquiries.
The repeated incidents near KDCA, along with a high number of near-misses, suggest a normalization of unsafe practices, prompting calls for air traffic control modernization and a reevaluation of military helicopter operations in the densely trafficked area.

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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.