One Year Later: Lessons Learned From Airline Crash in Washington, D.C.

It has been one year since the deadly airplane collision over the Potomac River in Washington, D.C. As the first anniversary is commemorated, more details are being released about the collision that killed 67 people. Here is a look at what the investigation into the crash has revealed.

NTSB Blames FAA for Aircraft Collision Over the Potomac Last Year

Yesterday, January 29, marked one year since the deadliest commercial aviation incident in the U.S. in over two decades. The midair collision between an American Airlines regional jet and a U.S. Army helicopter happened over the Potomac River in the airspace near Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA).

During a meeting earlier this week, National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) Jennifer Homendy said that the accident was "100% preventable." The NTSB continues to lay blame on the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) for implementing dangerous helicopter routes and not properly analyzing all of the near-collision data in this airspace over the years. Several family members of those lost in the crash were in attendance at the meeting at the NTSB boardroom.

Tuesday's meeting was the last chapter in what is widely recognized as one of the most comprehensive investigations in the history of the NTSB. Investigators with the agency presented over 70 findings over the course of the meeting. The final report is scheduled be released in the weeks ahead, featuring about 500 pages of findings. While the number may be tweaked before the final report is issued, investigators proposed 48 safety recommendations during the meeting.

The preliminary report detailed a chain of errors leading up to the collision. These mistakes include an overreliance on pilot "visual separation," limitations on what the Army Black Hawk helicopter crew could view from the cockpit, and overworked air traffic controllers.

Although the NTSB believes the control tower at DCA was adequately staffed at the time of the crash, a controller told investigators that the staff often felt "overwhelmed." Located right outside the nation's capital, this airport serves one of the most congested airspaces in the U.S.

Several family members of those lost in the crash were in attendance at the meeting at the NTSB boardroom. Some of the loved ones had to leave the boardroom during the presentation of the animations of the crash. A total of 64 passengers and crew members aboard the jet, as well as three soldiers on the helicopter, died.

One of the new revelations detailed on Tuesday surrounded exactly where the jet and the helicopter collided. The NTSB said that the chopper made contact with the airplane's left wing. The helicopter was flying from the right while the jet was in a left turn, leading to the fateful clip that sent both aircraft into the icy waters of the Potomac.

What the Investigation Findings Mean for the Future

The safety of air travel was called into question repeatedly in 2025. In addition to the crash outside of Washington, D.C., a Delta Air Lines regional jet crashed while landing in Toronto. Sixteen people died later in the year when a UPS cargo plane crashed on takeoff from Louisville, Kentucky.

Part of the focus of Tuesday's meeting included recommendations to prevent similar tragedies. Aviation and federal officials have spent the last year looking at safety concerns across airports with similar helicopter traffic patterns.

Investigators used the Microsoft Flight Simulator to recreate the flight paths taken by both the jet and the helicopter to demonstrate what the crews of both aircraft would have seen through the cockpit windshields. The visuals noted how difficult it was for the American Airlines pilots to avoid the collision, largely due to the cockpit blind spots and the ground lighting stretching along the Potomac.

This week's meeting came after the NTSB heard over 32 hours of testimony earlier in the year. The testimony looked at every aspect of what could have triggered the collision. Several pertinent parties were involved in these three days of exhaustive testimony, including representatives from American Airlines, the U.S. Army, and the FAA.

There has been no shortage of blame to go around. The Army is being challenged for its reluctance to employ the anti-collision technology known as Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B). Meanwhile, the FAA is being criticized for allowing military choppers to operate without the use of ADS-B. The FAA admitted during the hearing that the air traffic control tower did not warn the jet pilots of helicopter traffic in the airspace.

NTSB investigators pored over scores of FAA data, determining that there was an average of 18 near misses each year between helicopters and airplanes using the airspace around DCA. Homendy expressed concern about other vulnerable airports in the U.S, specifically pointing out California's Hollywood Burbank Airport.

The FAA released a statement detailing that it has rolled out new safety measures at DCA in the wake of the crash. These changes include reducing the hourly arrival rate at the busy airport and boosting staff levels in the control tower.

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