Overview
- The staff report details communication lapses before the collision, including altitude discrepancies and a tower instruction to “pass behind” that may not have been fully heard by the Black Hawk crew.
- Investigators cite night vision goggle limitations and a non‑transmitting ADS‑B Out on the Army helicopter as factors that undermined traffic awareness.
- Testimony highlighted Army training and airspace knowledge gaps, with concerns about the 12th Aviation Battalion’s understanding of procedures near Reagan National.
- A Pentagon–DCA hotline used for real-time coordination was found severed during tower construction and discovered only after a May 1 near miss.
- The subcommittee formally recommends a comprehensive evaluation by the DoD Inspector General, while broader safety reforms continue, including Senate passage of the ROTOR Act to tighten helicopter location-broadcast rules.