Black Hawk pilot missed key command before deadly D.C. midair crash, new report reveals

A devastating new report reveals that the Black Hawk pilot involved in a fatal collision with an American Airlines passenger plane may have missed a key instruction just seconds before the crash, contributing to one of the deadliest U.S. air disasters in decades.

On January 29, 2024, a military Black Hawk helicopter collided midair with American Airlines Flight 5342, killing all 67 people onboard both aircrafts. The chopper was flying low over Washington, D.C., during a military training mission when it struck the regional jet. A recent New York Times investigation paints a troubling picture of missteps, miscommunication, and a complete breakdown in aviation safety systems.

Experts now believe the crash was preventable — if only one or two actions had gone differently.

Who was flying the Black Hawk?

The helicopter was operated by a three-person U.S. Army crew:

• Capt. Rebecca Lobach, 28, was the highest-ranking soldier on board. She was undergoing an evaluation during a simulation involving the emergency evacuation of government officials.
• Warrant Officer Andrew Loyd Eaves, acting as her flight instructor, was technically in charge and more experienced at the controls.
• Staff Sgt. Ryan Austin O’Hara was in the back, monitoring equipment.

I’m heartbroken to share that my friend Capt. Rebecca Lobach died in Wednesday evening’s crash near DC’s National Airport.

Rebecca was brilliant and fearless, a talented pilot and a PT stud. We trained and commissioned together from @UNCArmyROTC, and we had a lot of fun along… pic.twitter.com/ZaKgWssdSI

— Davis Winkie (@davis_winkie) February 1, 2025

Although Capt. Lobach held the top rank, it was Eaves who was expected to guide and correct any mistakes during the flight.

According to cockpit recordings, confusion over altitude may have set the tragedy in motion. At one point, Lobach announced the chopper was flying at 300 feet — within legal limits for that area. Eaves, however, read the altitude as 400 feet. The correct altitude limit in the area was no more than 300 feet.

Despite repeated instructions to descend, the helicopter remained dangerously high for the next few minutes. Experts say that in a fast-moving aircraft like a Black Hawk, altitude changes can occur in seconds — raising questions about whether the pilots responded quickly enough.

A critical miscommunication with air traffic control

As the chopper flew above the cherry blossoms in Washington, an air traffic controller warned the crew about a nearby passenger plane. But investigators believe the Black Hawk pilots “stepped on” the controller’s words — meaning they were talking over the message and may not have heard the full warning.

Still, Eaves responded with a request for “visual separation,” a risky maneuver where pilots rely on sight alone to avoid other aircraft. This method, known as “see and avoid,” has a long history of causing accidents, especially when visibility or communication is poor.

Former accident investigator Jeff Guzzetti described it bluntly: “It’s a flawed but necessary concept,” he told the NYT.

The missed turn that cost lives

Just 15 seconds before impact, Eaves told Lobach he believed the controller wanted them to turn left — which would have guided them safely away from the approaching plane.

But Lobach didn’t make the turn.

At 8:48 p.m., the Black Hawk crashed into the side of American Airlines Flight 5342. The collision lit up the night sky, and everyone on board both aircrafts was killed instantly.

A broken system, not just human error

Officials emphasize that the accident was not caused by one mistake, but by the failure of an entire safety system. The New York Times described it as a “collapsed” system where multiple layers of defense — training, communication, equipment, and oversight — failed at once.

FAA Deputy Administrator Katie Thomson confirmed this, saying, “Multiple layers of safety precautions failed that night.”

Investigations by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) are still ongoing. Brig. Gen. Matthew Braman, who leads Army aviation, said, “What we’ll find in the end is there were multiple things that, had any one of them changed, it could have well changed the outcome of that evening.”

The tragedy has reignited debates over military-civilian flight safety coordination and the risks of “see and avoid” practices.

This heartbreaking crash is a sobering reminder of how even a few seconds of miscommunication can lead to tragedy — especially in the sky. As investigations continue, families are mourning, and aviation experts are calling for reforms that might prevent such a disaster from happening again.

What are your thoughts on the findings? Do you believe air safety systems need to change?