Army pilot’s error led to deadliest US aviation accident since 2001

On the evening of January 29, 2025, a US Army UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter engaged in a training exercise collided mid-air with American Airlines Flight 5342 near Reagan National Airport, resulting in 67 fatalities. 

A new report shows that a combination of procedures and human error caused the deadliest aviation incident in the United States since 2001.

According to a report by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) supported by Army aviation officials, Capt. Rebecca Lobach, who was flying the Black Hawk with instructor pilot Capt. Andrew Eaves did not follow a crucial course correction order about 15 seconds before the collision.

Missed critical command

Eaves told Lobach to fly the helicopter away from the oncoming commercial jet, but Lobach either missed the instruction or did not follow it correctly.

Investigators found that both pilots accidentally pressed the wrong buttons and interrupted important communications from air traffic control. This mistake blocked crucial information and affected their awareness of the situation.

This turmoil was particularly significant during a 20-second window in which air traffic control queried the Black Hawk crew’s ability to visually identify the CRJ-700 series aircraft operated by American Airlines.

A decisive operational error occurred earlier at 8:46 pm when Capt. Eaves received authorization for the Black Hawk to operate under visual flight rules (VFR) rather than maintaining instrument flight rules (IFR) separation. 

Although such clearance is a common expedient in congested airspace, it boosts the risk of human miscalculation, a risk that emerges with tragic effects.

The investigation further revealed that the helicopter’s Mode S transponder, which could have provided real-time positional data to air traffic control, was intentionally disabled by standard operating procedures for high-risk training scenarios. 

However, this mission was only a simulation, not a live extraction, raising questions regarding operational judgment.

Fatal DC Black Hawk crash

Brig. Gen. Matthew Braman, Director of Army Aviation, said that the incident was not the result of a single failure but a sequence of compounding errors. 

“Multiple factors converged. Anyone’s deviation from the sequence could have averted disaster,” he added.

Discrepancies in altitude reporting by the Black Hawk crew further exacerbated the breakdown.

At one point, conflicting verbal reports placed the helicopter at 300 and 400 feet, substantially exceeding the 200-foot altitude restriction for that corridor. 

Flight data revealed the Black Hawk was at 278 feet at the moment of collision, though NTSB Chair Jennifer Homendy cautioned that barometric readings may have differed from cockpit displays.

The Black Hawk impacted American Airlines Flight 5342 at 8:47:59 p.m., causing both aircraft to descend uncontrollably into the Potomac River. 

The event has prompted immediate calls to reform visual clearance procedures in congested airspace. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy likened the existing system to “threading a needle” and vowed policy changes.

The UH-60 Black Hawk is a twin-engine, medium-lift utility helicopter developed by Sikorsky Aircraft and introduced into US Army service in 1979. 

The Army’s primary tactical transport helicopter is routinely employed for air assault, medevac, and VIP transport missions.

While standard in military aviation, VFR operations transfer the responsibility of traffic separation from controllers to pilots, a method acceptable under specific conditions but dangerous in high-density airspace. 

Reagan National Airport (DCA) is less than five miles from downtown Washington, DC, and operates in one of the country’s most crowded and restricted airspaces. This makes flying under VFR more difficult.