Overview
- The House Subcommittee on Military and Foreign Affairs released a bipartisan staff report recommending that the Defense Department Inspector General evaluate all DoD operations in U.S. civilian airspace for safety, coordination and compliance.
- Investigators highlighted communication breakdowns between the Army Black Hawk and the Reagan National tower, including a possibly unheard instruction to pass behind the regional jet before the Jan. 29 collision that killed 67 people.
- The report cites multiple shortcomings: night vision goggles hindered the helicopter crew’s ability to detect the airliner, the Black Hawk was not transmitting ADS‑B Out, and Army pilots showed gaps in knowledge of DCA procedures.
- The DoD-to-DCA hotline was found to have been offline during Pentagon tower construction, limiting direct coordination; officials have since reestablished the line and implemented internal changes including requiring navigation systems during training flights.
- The report follows a Justice Department filing acknowledging that Army pilots and a Reagan National controller contributed to the crash, as FAA restrictions remain in place and the Senate-passed ROTOR Act to require military location signaling near D.C. awaits House action while the NTSB final report is pending.