Army identifies systemic failures behind DC midair collision and calls for safety fixes

The U.S. Army concluded that systemic breakdowns contributed to last year’s midair collision near Washington, D.C., between an American Airlines jet and a Black Hawk helicopter, and recommended steps to prevent future tragedies. The military said it did not publicly release the report on the deadliest U.S. plane crash in over two decades, but shared it with families of the 67 people who died. While the Army report largely aligns with the NTSB, it also points to broader context, including the tower controller at Reagan National Airport and the Army’s own shortcomings. The report cites two broken radio transmissions as the key factor that hindered the helicopter crew from identifying Flight 5342 during its approach to an alternate runway.