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4h ago

NTSB Hearings Expose Altimeter Inaccuracies in D.C. Midair Collision

NTSB hearings revealed helicopter altimeter errors of up to 130 feet plus traffic advisories that never reached the airliner during the January collision

National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) Chairwoman Jennifer Homendy talks with staff during a brief intermission in day three of a National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) investigative hearing on the January 29 mid-air collision of an Army Sikorsky UH-60L Black Hawk helicopter and American Airlines flight 5342 over the Potomac River near Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, at NTSB headquarters in Washington, D.C., U.S., August 1, 2025. REUTERS/Kent Nishimura
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Overview

  • Investigators tested three Black Hawk helicopters and found barometric altimeters off by 80 to 130 feet, potentially misleading pilots about true altitude
  • FAA oversight officials confirmed no traffic advisories or safety alerts were issued to the American Airlines jet before impact
  • Cockpit voice recordings showed a critical “pass behind” instruction to the Black Hawk crew was rendered unintelligible
  • A location-transmitting ADS-B device on the helicopter had been inactive for about two years, limiting air traffic controllers’ awareness
  • The NTSB will continue fact-finding and aims to issue a final report on probable cause and safety recommendations within the next year