NTSB Urges ‘Immediate Action’ at D.C. Airport Following Fatal Midair

The investigation into the accident—which killed all 67 people aboard both aircraft—remains open. But initial findings indicate that the flow of traffic at the airport creates an “intolerable risk to aviation safety,” said Jennifer Homendy, NTSB chair, in a press conference Tuesday afternoon.

“We remain concerned about the significant potential for a future midair collision at DCA, which is why we are recommending a permanent solution today,” Homendy said.

In the wake of January’s accident, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy “took swift action to restrict helicopter traffic from operating over the Potomac River at DCA until March 31,” Homendy said. The FAA issued Notices to Airmen (NOTAMs), and officials weighed a permanent ban on helicopters flying in the airspace.

The NTSB on Monday urged the FAA to take that step and bar helicopter operations along DCA’s Route 4 between Hains Point and Wilson Bridge when runway 15 /33 is in use for commercial traffic. The U.S. Army Black Hawk helicopter involved in the accident was flying along Route 4 as a Bombardier CRJ700 jet was attempting to land at Runway 33.

South of Wilson Bridge, the maximum allowable altitude on Route 4 increases from 200 feet to 300 feet, which according to preliminary data is about the altitude the collision took place. Per the NTSB’s urgent recommendation, at 200 feet, helicopters traveling on Route 4 have less than 75 feet of vertical separation between aircraft on approach to runway 33.

According to agency data, between October 2021 and December 2024, there were more than 15,000 near misses between commercial airplanes and helicopters at KDCA. These are cases where there is less than 400 feet of vertical separation and 1 nm of lateral separation—85 incidents involved aircraft that came within 200 feet vertically and 1,500 feet laterally of each other.

“Vertical separation could potentially be even less than 75 feet depending on the helicopter’s lateral distance from the Potomac River shoreline or if an approaching airplane was below the designated visual glidepath to Runway 33,” the NTSB said in a statement.

It added that the majority of close calls occurred at night, and many may have involved helicopters flying above the restricted altitude.

“It does make me angry,” Homendy said. “But it also makes me feel incredibly devastated for families that are grieving because they lost loved ones. It shouldn’t take tragedy like this to occur. Unfortunately, one did, and so we are calling on action, but there clearly were indicators where safety trending could have occurred.”

The NTSB chair emphasized that the investigation is ongoing, with more analysis needed to determine the full range of factors that led to the collision.

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