FAA Accepts Its Failures Led to Fatal Midair Collision Near Reagan National Airport: Bedford

The NTSB found that ’systemic failures’ led to a fatal 2025 midair collision near Washington.

The U.S. Coast Guard investigates aircraft wreckage after a midair collision over the Potomac River near Washington, on Jan. 30, 2025. Brandon Giles/U.S. Coast Guard via Getty Images

Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Administrator Bryan Bedford said on Feb. 1 that the agency accepts the finding of the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) that a series of systemic failures by the FAA led to a Jan. 29, 2025, midair collision, the deadliest U.S. aviation disaster in more than two decades.

Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of an aviation conference in Singapore, Bedford said the FAA did not dispute the NTSB’s conclusions on the collision between an American Airlines regional jet and a U.S. Army Black Hawk helicopter near Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, which killed all 67 people aboard both aircraft.

“We don’t disagree with anything that the NTSB has concluded from their investigations,” Bedford said. “Many of the recommendations have already been put into action. Those that haven’t, we’re going to evaluate.”

The NTSB revealed the probable cause of the crash on Jan. 27, citing the FAA’s decision to allow a helicopter route to operate close to a runway approach path at Reagan National, as well as multiple other “systemic failures” at the agency.

“This was 100 percent preventable,” NTSB Chair Jennifer Homendy said during the agency’s nine-hour probable-cause hearing, which capped a year-long investigation.

The NTSB said the executive branch’s decision to permit helicopter traffic so close to commercial aircraft operations created unacceptable risk.

“Number one, this helicopter route shouldn’t have been there in the first place,“ Homendy said toward the end of the Jan. 27 hearing. ”This was terrible design of the airspace.”

Data and Procedural Lapses

Investigators also faulted the FAA for failing to adequately review its own data indicating elevated midair-collision risk around the Potomac River airspace and for allowing controllers to rely heavily on “visual separation”—a practice in which pilots are responsible for seeing and avoiding other aircraft—to maintain traffic flow.

“The question is, should the FAA have known there was a problem, and should something have been done?” Homendy asked, noting that the NTSB had worked with the FAA to flag more than 15,000 close-proximity events over several years, including 85 classified as serious.

“Absolutely, the data was there. The data was in their own systems.”

Salvage crews work on recovering wreckage near the site in the Potomac River of a midair collision between an American Airlines jet and a Black Hawk helicopter at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, in Arlington, Va., on Feb. 6, 2025. Jose Luis Magana/AP Photo

The NTSB also cited staffing and human factor issues at the Reagan National control tower, noting that a single controller was handling both helicopter and airplane frequencies on the night of the crash. Although the board concluded that staffing levels technically met FAA requirements, it said extended shifts likely reduced alertness and vigilance, increasing operational risk.

The safety board also criticized what it described as the FAA’s long-standing resistance to safety recommendations under previous administrations.

A visitor walks toward flowers and a letter left in memorial to the victims of a midair collision between an American Airlines jet and a Black Hawk helicopter near the Potomac River at the base of the Titanic Memorial in Washington, on Feb. 1, 2025. Carolyn Kaster/AP Photo

The U.S. Army was also cited for failing to fully implement a safety management system that could have addressed altitude risks on Washington helicopter routes. Investigators said the Black Hawk’s altimeter likely misreported altitude by about 100 feet, contributing to the crew’s belief that it was flying within authorized limits.

Federal Response

The FAA said in a Jan. 27 statement that it “values and appreciates the NTSB’s expertise and input” and that it has acted on urgent safety recommendations issued in March 2025, noting that it would carefully consider additional measures outlined in last week’s findings.

Amid the fallout from the 2025 crash, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy recently announced that the FAA has formalized permanent restrictions on helicopters operating near Reagan National unless they are carrying out essential operations.

The rules move helicopter routes farther away from Reagan National, require all military aircraft to broadcast their locations during flight, and prevent air traffic controllers from relying on visual separation.

“After that horrific night in January, this Administration made a promise to do whatever it takes to secure the skies over our nation’s capital and ensure such a tragedy would never happen again,“ Duffy said in a Jan. 22 statement. ”Today’s announcement reaffirms that commitment. The safety of the American people will always be our top priority. I look forward to continuing to collaborate with the NTSB on any additional actions.”

The Trump administration on Jan. 26 unveiled a major overhaul of the FAA to bolster modernization efforts and enhance safety, including the installation of a new air traffic control system and advanced aviation technologies.

Reuters contributed to this report.