The US Army Black Hawk Pilot Missed A Key Command Before The Deadly Crash In Washington D.C.

A US Army UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter crashed into American Airlines Flight 5342 near Reagan National Airport on January 29th, 2025, which resulted in 67 fatalities. According to a recently released National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) report, the fatal accident occurred because of multiple human errors and operational breakdowns, which marks the worst aviation disaster in the United States since 2001.

During the final 15 seconds before impact, Capt. Rebecca Lobach and Chief Warrant Officer Andrew Eaves received an essential course correction order, which they failed to execute. Eaves issued instructions to Lobach for avoiding the CRJ-700 aircraft, yet she either did not receive the order or misunderstood its meaning. Air traffic control messages became inaccessible to both pilots when they pressed the wrong buttons, which led to diminished situational awareness.

The critical moment at 8:46 p.m. turned out to be a crucial mistake, as Capt. Eaves chose visual flight rules (VFR) instead of instrument flight rules (IFR), which reduced his ability to navigate in the country’s most active airspace. The training protocols required disabling the Black Hawk’s Mode S transponder, although the mission was only a simulation, thus increasing the risk for controllers to track its position.

Altitude confusion further impaired safety. Different reports indicated the helicopter maintained heights of 300 feet and 400 feet, which exceeded the permitted altitude of 200 feet. Flight records indicate the aircraft flew at 278 feet when it collided with the jet at 8:47:59 p.m., and both planes crashed into the Potomac River.

Brig. Gen. Matthew Braman explained that multiple errors created a sequence of mistakes that caused the aircraft disaster. The incident has prompted immediate demands for airspace density VFR assessment as Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy announced extensive reforms to stop future accidents.