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What caused the DC plane crash? Blackhawk helicopter may not have heard key transmission, NTSB says
Blackhawk helicopter may not have received key transmission before crash with DCA-bound plane
The Blackhawk helicopter that crashed into the American Airlines flight preparing to land at Reagan National Airport on Jan. 29 may not have heard key instructions from the air traffic control tower as it approached the jetliner carrying 64 people on board. FOX 5 ‘s Katie Barlow has the latest update.
WASHINGTON – A miscommunication and bad data may have contributed to last month’s deadly crash near Reagan National Airport.
The Blackhawk helicopter that crashed into the American Airlines flight preparing to land at Reagan National Airport on Jan. 29 may not have heard key instructions from the air traffic control tower as it approached the jetliner carrying 64 people on board, according to the National Transportation Safety Board.
“The instruction was to pass behind the CRJ. That transmission was interrupted — it was stepped on. We do not have evidence on the cvr of the Blackhawk they may have not received the “pass the behind the,’” said NTSB Chair Jennifer Homendy.
The revelation came as the NTSB provided an update on the investigation into the crash Friday afternoon. Officials say they have now wrapped up the on-scene portion of their investigation.
NTSB also said approximately 20 seconds before the collision, the plane’s collision avoidance system issued an alert but they have not yet confirmed if the system was recognizing the Blackhawk in that alert.
The NTSB says they will continue their investigation and move the wreckage from DCA to a secure location.
Homendy also told reporters the Blackhawk’s actual altitude may have been different from what the helicopter’s flight instruments showed the crew.
“We’re confident with the radio altitude, radio altitude of the black hawk at the time of the collision that was 278 feet, but I want to caution, that does not mean that was what the black hawk crew was seeing,” Homendy said.
And as for the possibility that the black hawk pilots were looking at bad data, aviation expert Richard Levy said that “what the pilots were seeing on their altimeters would’ve been accurate if, number one, the altimeter setting is set correctly, and number two, it has passed certification tests. Then it would be rare for it to be inaccurate.”
One other thing that came up during Friday’s press conference, the NTSB says they believe the helicopter crew was wearing night vision goggles. Levy said this would be a challenging environment for that and that the goggles can impact your peripheral vision.
Deadly DCA plane crash
The backstory:
Around 9 p.m. on Wednesday, Jan. 29, American Airlines Flight 5342 was inbound to Ronald Reagan National Airport at about 400 feet and a speed of about 140 mph when the plane rapidly lost altitude over the Potomac River, according to data from its radio transponder.
A few minutes before landing, air traffic controllers asked the arriving commercial jet if it could land on the shorter Runway 33 at Reagan National, and the pilots said they were able.
Controllers then cleared the plane to land on Runway 33. Flight-tracking sites showed the plane adjusting its approach to the new runway.
Less than 30 seconds before the crash, an air traffic controller asked the Black Hawk if it had the arriving plane in sight. The controller made another radio call to the helicopter moments later: “PAT 25, pass behind the CRJ.” Seconds after that, the two aircraft collided.
The plane’s transponder stopped transmitting about 2,400 feet (732 meters) short of the runway, roughly over the middle of the river.
The Source: National Transportation Safety Board
The U.S. and Israel have been conducting strikes against targets in Iran since Saturday morning, with the aim of toppling Tehran’s clerical regime. Iran has fired back, with retaliatory assaults featuring missiles and drones targeting several Gulf countries and American bases in the Middle East.
“All six aircrew ejected safely, have been safely recovered, and are in stable condition. Kuwait has acknowledged this incident, and we are grateful for the efforts of the Kuwaiti defense forces and their support in this ongoing operation,” Central Command said.
“The cause of the incident is under investigation. Additional information will be released as it becomes available,” it added.
In a separate statement later Monday, Central Command said that American forces had been killed during combat since the strikes began.
“As of 7:30 am ET, March 2, four U.S. service members have been killed in action. The fourth service member, who was seriously wounded during Iran’s initial attacks, eventually succumbed to their injuries,” it said.
Major combat operations continue and our response effort is ongoing. The identities of the fallen are being withheld until 24 hours after next of kin notification,” Central Command added.
This story has been updated.
Smoke rises over Konarak naval base in southern Iran on Sunday. The base was one of hundreds of targets of U.S. and Israeli forces throughout the country.
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Planet Labs PBC
Commercial satellite images are providing a unique look at the extent of damage being done to Iran’s military facilities across the country.
The U.S. and Israeli military campaign opened with a daytime attack that struck Iranian leadership in central Tehran. Smoke was still visible rising from Ayatollah Ali Khamenei’s compound following the attack that killed the supreme leader.
An image by the company Airbus taken on Saturday shows the aftermath of an Israeli strike on Iran’s Leadership House in central Tehran. Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was killed in the opening wave of attacks.
Pléiades Neo (c) Airbus DS 2026
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Pléiades Neo (c) Airbus DS 2026
Israel and the U.S. have gone on to strike targets across the country. Reports on social media indicate that there have been numerous military bases and compounds attacked all over Iran, and Iran has responded with attacks throughout the Middle East.
U.S. forces have also been striking at Iran’s navy. In a post on his social media platform, President Trump said that he had been briefed that U.S. forces had sunk nine Iranian naval vessels. U.S. Central Command did not immediately confirm that number but it did say it had struck an Iranian warship in port.
An image captured on Saturday shows a ship burning at Iran’s naval base at Konarak.
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Numerous satellite images show burning vessels at Konarak naval base in southern Iran. Images also show damage to a nearby airbase where hardened hangers were struck by precision munitions.
Hardened aircraft shelters at Konarak airbase were struck with precision munitions.
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Satellite image ©2026 Vantor
And there was extensive damage at a drone base in the same area. Iran has launched numerous drones and missiles toward Israel and U.S. military installations in Bahrain, Kuwait and Qatar. Many drones have been intercepted but videos on social media show that some have evaded air defenses and caused damage in nearby Gulf countries. In Dubai, debris from an Iranian drone damaged the iconic Burj Al Arab, according to a statement from Dubai’s government.
Buildings at an Iranian drone base at Konarak were destroyed in the strikes.
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Iran’s most powerful weapons are its long-range missiles. The Iranian Revolutionary Guards have hidden the missiles deep inside mountain tunnels. Images taken Sunday in the mountains of northern Iran indicate that some of those tunnels were hit in a wave of strikes.
Following Khamenei’s death, Iran declared 40 days of mourning. Satellite images showed mourners gathering in Tehran’s Enghelab square on Sunday.
Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Esmail Baghaei told NPR on Sunday that Iran will continue to fight “foreign aggression, foreign domination.”
A White House official told NPR that Trump plans to talk to Iran’s interim leadership “eventually,” but that for now, U.S. operations continue in the region “unabated.”
A large crowd of mourners fill Enghelab Square in Tehran on Sunday, following the death of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who was killed in an Israeli airstrike.
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