Aviation experts are still trying to understand how the crash occurred as information continues to surface. Minutes before the collision, the American Eagle flight was cleared for its approach, while controllers instructed the Black Hawk helicopter to watch out for the incoming jet. Radio recordings revealed that air traffic controllers had instructed the Black Hawk. The helicopter pilots acknowledged the instruction, but seconds later, the two aircraft collided at near right angles.
Pete Muntean, CNN's aviation correspondent and private pilot, told the broadcaster: "This is just so staggering that there is a midair collision involving a commercial airliner." Munteen pointed out that commercial airliners are equipped with the Traffic Collision Avoidance System (TCAS), designed to alert pilots to nearby aircraft. This system, developed to prevent collisions, is extremely reliable, he said.
"Now investigators have an incredible amount of work cut out for them to figure out how a commercial airliner in the United States in 2025, when the pilots are incredibly trained, the technology is incredibly sharp, collided with what is apparently a military or government helicopter. Nobody else uses the Blackhawk. It is really something else. I'm just stunned", Muntean reported.
Such reactions proliferated across the media: Aviation consultant Bernard Lavelle told The i Paper that the cause of the accident could be human error or mechanical failure. Lavelle also pointed to concerns about staffing shortages in U.S. air traffic control, which may have contributed to a breakdown in communications. He added that pilot shortages, particularly in regional aviation, may have further strained safety efforts.
CBS News senior transportation and national correspondent Kris Van Cleave said the American Eagle jet was just "a few hundred feet off the ground" when it collided with the Army helicopter. "It was very close to landing," he said. Van Cleave added that the jet was in the final moments of its approach, and depending on the point of impact, "the pilots may never have seen the helicopter coming."
Audio from air traffic control shows the reaction from operators after the collision. "PAT-25, do you have the CRJ in sight? PAT-25 pass behind the CRJ" can be heard in the audio. "Did you see that?" A voice asks, before ordering other aircraft to redirect and land immediately at other airports.
The incident raises questions about the challenges of visual approaches at busy airports. The Black Hawk pilots were making a "visual approach", which means they were relying on their eyesight rather than automated instruments, yet it can be difficult at night, especially with the bright lights of Washington, D.C., in the background. Alan Diehl, who worked for the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), said that the complexity of the airspace and the pilots' reliance on visual cues could have made the collision more likely.
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has launched an investigation into the accident, focusing on black box data, air traffic control recordings, and mechanical inspections. As experts look for answers, the aviation community is left questioning how such a tragedy could occur in controlled airspace. No black boxes have been recovered so far.
© 2025 Latin Times. All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
