A tragic crash occurred near Ronald Reagan National Airport in Washington, D.C., on January 29, when a Black Hawk helicopter collided with an American Airlines plane. Investigators found that the helicopter was flying too high, about 300 feet, which is above the 200-foot limit for aircraft in that area. The collision resulted in the deaths of 67 people, making it one of the deadliest air disasters in the United States in nearly 25 years.
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) confirmed that the Army UH-60 Black Hawk was flying higher than allowed, based on flight data analysis. However, they noted that the altitude measurements were rounded to the nearest 100 feet, so the helicopter’s exact altitude could have been anywhere between 251 feet and 349 feet when it collided with the American Airlines jet.
According to the NTSB, the air traffic control tower at the airport receives information from the Potomac TRACON, which combines data from various radar sensors and ADS-B. This data showed the Black Hawk was flying at 300 feet at the time of the crash. Investigators also noted that they need more information to fully verify the helicopter’s flight details. To do this, they need to recover the wreckage of the Black Hawk, which is expected to happen soon.
Search teams have already recovered parts of the American Airlines plane from the Potomac River, including significant portions of the wings, fuselage, and cockpit. The American Airlines flight had been cleared to land on Runway 33 when the collision took place. Just moments before the crash, an air traffic controller asked the helicopter pilot if he could see the plane, to which the pilot responded that he could. Seconds later, the two aircraft collided.
The crash also involved members of the Skating Club of Boston, who were returning from a development camp after the 2025 U.S. Figure Skating Championships. Among the victims were teenage skaters Jinna Han and Spencer Lane, their mothers, and two Russian-born coaches, Evgenia Shishkova and Vadim Naumov, who had won a world championship in pairs skating in 1994.
This tragic event has raised questions about air traffic safety and helicopter flight protocols, and the investigation continues to uncover more details about the crash.