What we know about the crash and investigation
- Two black boxes from the American Eagle passenger jet and a device from the helicopter have been recovered, and the National Transportation Safety Board said data is being downloaded from the devices as it continues to discover how the crash happened.
- What happened inside the Black Hawk helicopter in the moments before the fatal crash is key to unraveling the disaster, experts say.
- All 67 people onboard both the passenger jet and Black Hawk military helicopter are presumed dead after the midair collision over the Potomac River. The remains of 41 people have been recovered, and officials said they expect all of the victims to be found.
- The Federal Aviation Administration has issued new flight restrictions for helicopters in the Washington, D.C., area and Reagan National Airport.
- Figure skaters, union workers and professors were among those killed in the crash, and details are emerging about the crew on the aircraft.
Military aircraft came close to another passenger jet the night before Wednesday's collision
National Transportation Safety Board investigators were considering an incident from the night before Wednesday's deadly air collision over Washington, D.C., to determine if anything can be learned from it, a federal transportation official said.
On Tuesday, another military flight with a similar designation, priority air transport (PAT), and a Republic Airways passenger plane came within 1,000 feet of each other in the skies above Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, NTSB member J. Todd Inman said at a news conference tonight.
In that case, the passenger plane pilot, apparently aware of the proximity, "rejected the landing and did a go-around," Inman said.
The Federal Aviation Administration defines a "near miss" in the skies as occurring when two aircraft come within 500 feet of each other. In this case, Inman said, "One-thousand feet is a good safety barrier."
"Obviously," he continued, "the pilot made its own decision in rejecting the landing."
In Wednesday's deadly collision, Inman said, the American Eagle Bombardier CRJ700 increased its pitch just before impact. Increasing pitch would raise the nose and usually precedes a climb.
"Very close to impact there was a slight change to the pitch," Inman said.
He said investigators were looking into it, and no conclusions about the change have been made.
Transportation secretary bans 'identity' celebrations, says they don't keep planes in the air
U.S. Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy tonight prohibited "celebrations based on immutable traits or any other identity-based observances" by his personnel on government time, saying they detract from the mission of keeping air and other travel safe.
The remarks follow President Donald Trump's suggestion, without evidence, that diversity, equity and inclusion programs could be the cause of Wednesday night's deadly air collision over Washington, D.C.
Duffy posted his order on X earlier tonight.
"These distractions do nothing to keep planes in the air, trains on the tracks, or ports and highways secure," Trump's transportation secretary wrote. "In the wake of two devastating plane crashes, my focus is singular: enforcing the highest standards of safety and accountability."
Passenger jet and helicopter would not have been communicating with each other
The passenger jet carrying 64 people and the U.S. Army Black Hawk helicopter carrying three that collided over Washington, D.C., would not have been communicating with each other before the crash, a federal transportation official said tonight.
National Transportation Safety Board member J. Todd Inman said at a news conference that the aircraft communicate using different radio frequency bands, and that this is not unusual.
The jet was using VHF, which stands for very high frequency, he said. A paper on military radio communications by contractor Harris RF Communications states UHF is “an ideal choice for ground-to-air communications.”
Inman noted that recordings posted online of air traffic communication before the crash have not contained the helicopter’s UHF, or ultra high frequency.
The helicopter and passenger jet could hear air traffic control instructions, but they would not communicate directly with each other, Inman said.
“Both the airplane and the helicopter would hear any air traffic control, but they would not hear the other aircraft or helicopter, conversely, if they were transmitting out," he said.
Inman discounted the lack of direct communication as an area of focus for investigators, but he said the radio traffic would be important in helping to establish a timeline. Investigators were working to sync the radio traffic involving both aircraft to put together an accurate timeline, he said.
Black Hawk crew member 'dedicated his life to his country,' cousin says
The family of Sgt. Ryan O’Hara identified him as a crew member on the helicopter.
“He joined the military right out of high school and dedicated his life to his country ever since. ... Being highly involved in ROTC throughout high school, he knew what his passion was and he was dedicated to it,” cousin Jocelyn Gompers posted on social media. “He’s described by those he worked with as a standout soldier and highly respected — one of the most dedicated, disciplined, and committed soldiers.”
O'Hara, 28, of Lilburn, Georgia, is survived by his wife and 18-month-old son.
Investigators probing whether Black Hawk crew was wearing night vision goggles
National Transportation Safety Board investigators confirmed today that the crew on the Black Hawk helicopter that collided with a passenger jet Wednesday had access to night vision goggles.
The question for investigators now is whether the goggles were being used at the time of impact, said NTSB member J. Todd Inman.
Inman said the bodies of the three soldiers aboard the Sikorsky H-60 Black Hawk, as well as their helmets and the bags that would have contained the goggles — which have not been recovered — will have to be examined to help make that determination.
Reed M. Kimbrough, a former Army helicopter pilot, said earlier this week that while it's too early to come to any conclusions about their possible influence on the collision, night vision goggles can impact a pilot’s depth perception, particularly when focus shifts from aircraft instruments to the skies.
Objects can initially seem to be farther than they actually are, he said.
Five people were in the control tower at the time of the crash
The air traffic control tower overseeing the U.S. Army Black Hawk helicopter and American Eagle passenger jet that crashed was staffed with five people, a federal transportation official said today.
Speaking at a news conference, NTSB member J. Todd Inman said the five were working in the control tower "cab" at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport when the collision occurred Wednesday night.
Inman said they included the local controller who was directing helicopter and fixed-wing aircraft; a local assistant controller assigned to helping the local controller with things like receiving and analyze data in real time; a ground controller handling all aircraft and vehicles not on the runway; an operations supervisor; and an operations supervisor in training.
"There were five people in the tower at the time of the accident," Inman said.
He said NTSB investigators working to find the cause of the collision have already interviewed the controllers and were expected to interview the supervisor and supervisor in training by the end of Monday.
"This is a controller's worst nightmare," Inman said.
Investigators working to explain elevation reading discrepancy
National Transportation Safety Board investigators were working today to resolve a discrepancy between elevation readings for the Black Hawk helicopter and American Eagle passenger jet involved in Wednesday night's deadly collision.
Speaking at a news conference today, board member J. Todd Inman said the Bombardier CRJ700 carrying 64 people from Wichita to Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport shows an altitude of 325 feet, plus or minus 25 feet, "at the time of impact," according to a preliminary reading of its recovered flight data recorder.
The control tower where an air traffic controller was directing both helicopter and fixed-wing aircraft had a radar reading of roughly 200 feet for the helicopter — which was carrying three soldiers — "at the time of the accident," he said. The two collided shortly before 9 p.m., with no survivors, authorities have said.
Air safety investigator Brice Banning, in charge of the NTSB’s probe of Wednesday’s collision, said the helicopter was traveling within the lateral boundaries of a helicopter route. The ceiling of that route was 200 feet, he said.
Inman said it’s too early to say whether the discrepancy in elevation readings affected tower instructions for both aircraft. The helicopter data could help explain its true elevation, he said.
Inman said investigators might be able to resolve the matter with data from the helicopter's own combination flight data and cockpit voice recorder, which was recovered with some water incursion. He said there's some confidence at the NTSB that the data will be accessed, possibly by tomorrow night.
Transportation secretary says he wants 'Americans to feel confident in American air travel'
Sean Duffy, U.S. secretary of transportation, said the airspace around Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport was restricted yesterday “from helicopter travel, making sure people feel safe as they come in and out of our capital city.”
“I want Americans to feel confident in American air travel,” he said in a video message posted on X, later adding that, “We’ve had a heart-wrenching week in aviation."
Duffy said spoke to some of the family members who lost loved ones in the D.C. crash.
“Their pain is unimaginable,” he said. “I committed transparency to them. When I know information, I’m going to share it with them but also with the American people.”
He also briefly addressed the air ambulance crash in Philadelphia, saying that the FAA and NTSB are investigating and that he would share "answers" around the crash with the public once he gets them.
Third victim on board Black Hawk identified
The U.S. Army today identified the third person on board the Black Hawk helicopter that collided with a passenger jet over the Potomac River Wednesday as Capt. Rebecca M. Lobach, of Durham, North Carolina.
The U.S. Army said Lobach was an aviation officer in the Army from July 2019 until last month.
Lobach's family said in a statement shared by the Army that was a certified pilot-in-command with more than 450 hours of light time. She was also a former platoon leader and company executive officer in the 12th Aviation Battalion, Davison Army Airfield, Fort Belvoir, Virginia, who volunteered to work at the White House.
"Rebecca was honored to serve as a White House Military Social Aide, volunteering to support the President and First Lady in hosting countless White House events, including ceremonies awarding the Medal of Honor and the Presidential Medal of Freedom," her family said.
It said Lobach was also a certified Sexual Harassment/Assault Response and Prevention (SHARP) Victim Advocate and hoped to become a physician following her time as a soldier.
"She was a daughter, sister, partner, and friend," the family said. "She was a servant, a caregiver, an advocate. Most of all, she loved and was loved. Her life was short, but she made a difference in the lives of all who knew her. Our hearts break for the other families who have lost loved ones in this national tragedy and we mourn with them."
The Army said she was awarded the Army Commendation Medal, Army Achievement Medal, National Defense Service Medal and Army Service Ribbon.
Maryland man killed in crash was 'a well-loved, hardworking, avid outdoorsman'
Tommy Clagett’s wife, Jill Clagett, remembered him as a “devoted husband and girl dad.” Clagett, who lived in Newburg, Maryland, was a soccer coach and “standout soccer dad to every player and parent on the field.”
“To know Tommy was to love him. Tommy was a well-loved, hardworking, avid outdoorsman who was thoughtful and respectful at home and work,” she said in a statement. “Although lives all across SoMD are forever changed, as these long-time friends lived and died alongside one another, the outpouring of support echos the pride Tommy had for this community.”