Overview

• Capt. Rebecca Lobach failed to turn the Black Hawk helicopter left when advised by her co-pilot, just seconds before colliding with an American Airlines jet near Reagan National Airport.
• Cockpit voice recordings indicate the Black Hawk crew missed air traffic control's critical 'pass behind' instruction due to a microphone 'bleep-out' at a key moment.
• The helicopter crew had requested and received 'visual separation,' a practice that shifts collision avoidance responsibility to pilots, which experts warn increases risks in congested airspace.
• The crash investigation also revealed that the Black Hawk's ADS-B tracking system, which could have enhanced situational awareness, was disabled at the time of the incident.
• Regulators are considering permanent airspace management reforms as the NTSB continues its analysis of human, procedural, and technical factors contributing to the collision.