Federal investigators say the crash of an American Airlines jet into a helicopter near Reagan National Airport was avoidable, due to years of ignored warnings about helicopter traffic dangers and other problems. The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) said that a series of "systemic failures" contributed to the tragic accident, which killed 67 people.
The NTSB found that air traffic controllers were overwhelmed with traffic just minutes before the collision, despite having only one or two helicopters in the airspace at the time. This failure was exacerbated by the FAA's decision to downgrade the DCA tower from a level 10 to a level 9 facility, which reduced its ability to attract experienced staff.
Additionally, investigators found that helicopter pilots were likely flying at a higher altitude than their altimeter indicated, making it difficult for them to spot the approaching jet. The pilots of both aircraft were qualified and had adequate rest and medical checks, but the NTSB said that the FAA's failure to provide clear guidance on near-miss events made it harder to prevent such collisions.
The investigation also highlighted a lack of standardized approach by the FAA in defining close proximity events between aircraft. This makes it difficult to compare data from different airports or track trends over time.
Family members and victims' advocates expressed frustration with the FAA's response, calling for clearer regulations and more effective safety measures. They hope that the NTSB's recommendations will lead to meaningful change and prevent similar tragedies in the future.
In light of this crash, the FAA has made a permanent change to ensure helicopters and planes no longer share the same airspace around the airport. The agency has also increased staff at the Reagan tower and reduced hourly plane arrivals. However, critics say that more needs to be done to address the systemic failures that led to this tragedy.
The investigation's findings come as a wake-up call for the flying public, who have been on edge since several high-profile crashes and close calls. But despite this, NTSB statistics show that the total number of crashes last year was the lowest since the COVID-19 pandemic hit in 2020, with 1,405 nationwide.
The NTSB's Chair Jennifer Homendy said that human error is a symptom of a system that needs to be redesigned. She emphasized that this crash was "100% preventable" and that the FAA had failed to act on repeated warnings about helicopter traffic dangers.
The NTSB found that air traffic controllers were overwhelmed with traffic just minutes before the collision, despite having only one or two helicopters in the airspace at the time. This failure was exacerbated by the FAA's decision to downgrade the DCA tower from a level 10 to a level 9 facility, which reduced its ability to attract experienced staff.
Additionally, investigators found that helicopter pilots were likely flying at a higher altitude than their altimeter indicated, making it difficult for them to spot the approaching jet. The pilots of both aircraft were qualified and had adequate rest and medical checks, but the NTSB said that the FAA's failure to provide clear guidance on near-miss events made it harder to prevent such collisions.
The investigation also highlighted a lack of standardized approach by the FAA in defining close proximity events between aircraft. This makes it difficult to compare data from different airports or track trends over time.
Family members and victims' advocates expressed frustration with the FAA's response, calling for clearer regulations and more effective safety measures. They hope that the NTSB's recommendations will lead to meaningful change and prevent similar tragedies in the future.
In light of this crash, the FAA has made a permanent change to ensure helicopters and planes no longer share the same airspace around the airport. The agency has also increased staff at the Reagan tower and reduced hourly plane arrivals. However, critics say that more needs to be done to address the systemic failures that led to this tragedy.
The investigation's findings come as a wake-up call for the flying public, who have been on edge since several high-profile crashes and close calls. But despite this, NTSB statistics show that the total number of crashes last year was the lowest since the COVID-19 pandemic hit in 2020, with 1,405 nationwide.
The NTSB's Chair Jennifer Homendy said that human error is a symptom of a system that needs to be redesigned. She emphasized that this crash was "100% preventable" and that the FAA had failed to act on repeated warnings about helicopter traffic dangers.
. The FAA needs to get its act together and provide clear guidance on helicopter traffic dangers. I don't understand why they didn't listen to those warnings for years... [Image: A sad emoji, a broken chain, linked together]
. It's not just about the number of crashes, but also about making sure people feel safe while flying.
. We need more transparency and accountability from the FAA, so we can trust that they're doing everything possible to keep us safe.
" symbol over them, indicating safety]
. Let's hope that this crash serves as a wake-up call for the FAA and the flying public 
.
. Like, I know they've made some changes already but come on, 67 people died because of our air traffic system? It's just not right 
. The thing is, the NTSB says it was avoidable and I'm like "yaaas, it should have been" 
. I mean, all these years of warnings about helicopter traffic dangers and the FAA just ignored them? That's some serious neglect 
. We need more than just changes around Reagan airport, we need a whole overhaul of how our air traffic system works 
. I'm not saying that the NTSB's recommendations aren't good but we need to see some real action taken 
. It’s also crazy to me how the FAA downgraded the tower's level without thinking about the impact on staffing and safety. And don’t even get me started on the lack of clear guidance on near-miss events 
. I guess what really got my attention is that family members are calling for more action from the agency, and I can kinda see why they’re frustrated 
.
... we need more regulation and transparency in aviation safety ASAP 
and I'm still trying to wrap my head around the fact that this crash was 100% preventable 
! I mean, come on, they're supposed to be safer than this 
. We've been hearing about these "systemic failures" for years and nothing has changed 
, waiting for the next crash to happen 
they knew about these helicopter traffic issues for years but did nothing 
. we need to hold them accountable and make some real changes 
we need a complete overhaul of the system before more lives are lost 
.
. I'm not sayin' it's all the FAA's fault or nothin', but they gotta step up their game and be more proactive about safety measures 
and why did it take so long for the FAA to notice that there were these huge warning signs being ignored? 
what's going on with helicopter traffic around airports anyway? 
do they not have designated safe zones or something? 
it's just devastating to think that 67 lives were lost because of a system failure 
️ let's keep our fingers crossed that these changes will lead to safer skies in the future 
... still, there should be no close calls at all, no matter what 
. And now we're hearing that the air traffic controllers were overwhelmed and that the FAA downgraded the tower, making it harder to prevent stuff like this from happening 
!
this is getting crazy! like, what's going on with air traffic control? how can you have people flying near airports and not be able to track it properly? 
. meanwhile, the NTSB is trying to piece together all these systemic failures 
.
.
And hey, NTSB stats show that last year was the lowest number of crashes since COVID-19 hit in 2020... maybe we can all take a deep breath now?