On January 29, a Black Hawk military helicopter and an American Airlines plane tragically collided near Ronald Reagan National Airport, killing everyone on both aircraft. Recently released transcripts from the National Transportation Safety Board hearing shed light on the helicopter pilot’s final exchange before the crash.
Captain Rebecca Lobach flew with instructor Andrew Eaves on a night training mission. Evidence showed their helicopter flew higher than the 200-foot maximum allowed near the airport—sometimes as high as 300 feet—likely due to inaccurate altimeter readings that made the crew unaware of their real altitude.
Despite some light moments during their conversation, Eaves gave Lobach instructions to reduce altitude. Air traffic controllers warned the Black Hawk crew about the nearby passenger jet on two occasions. The helicopter requested to visually separate from the plane, but an important command to “pass behind” the jet wasn’t heard due to an audio issue.
Seconds before the collision, brief dialogue occurred between pilot and instructor, neither knowing how close disaster was. Experts at the hearing stressed the need to upgrade ceiling altimeters on older Black Hawks to prevent such errors.
The inquiry into what caused this tragic crash continues as investigators analyze all available data.
