The US National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) will hold a three-day investigative hearing next month on the mid-air collision between an American Airlines regional jet and a US Army Black Hawk helicopter over the Potomac River near Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport.
On January 29, 2025, American Airlines Flight 5342, a CRJ-700 originating from Wichita, Kansas, was on its final approach to Reagan National Airport when it collided with a US Army Black Hawk helicopter. The mid-air collision resulted in the loss of 67 lives.
The 67 fatalities included two pilots, two flight attendants, and 60 passengers aboard the CRJ-700, along with the helicopter’s three crew members.
Following the incident, numerous questions have arisen about how such an incident could occur. In March, the NTSB issued safety recommendations, which the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) adopted, to implement permanent restrictions on helicopter traffic surrounding the Washington airport.
The hearing will reportedly include numerous witnesses and is expected to release significant new details of the deadliest US aviation crash in more than two decades. It will be held between July 30, and August 1, 2025, at the NTSB boardroom in Washington where it will also be broadcast.