The Breakdown 38

• In a tragic incident on January 29, 2025, a catastrophic midair collision between an American Airlines flight and an Army Black Hawk helicopter near Reagan National Airport claimed the lives of 67 individuals, marking it as one of the deadliest air disasters in recent U.S. history.
• The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) launched a thorough investigation, revealing that a web of "systemic failures" within air traffic control, Army aviation, and the FAA led to the preventable tragedy, underscoring profound flaws in aviation oversight.
• NTSB Chair Jennifer Homendy passionately called for urgent reforms, criticizing the culture of complacency and multiple lapses that contributed to the fatal crash, including inadequate drug testing for air traffic controllers.
• The NTSB hearings illuminated the overwhelming air traffic conditions at the time, stressing that the collision could have been avoided with better management and protocol.
• As families of victims seek justice, they demand comprehensive aviation safety reforms to ensure that lessons learned from this tragedy lead to substantial changes, not just promises.
• In response to the crash, the FAA instituted lasting changes to airspace regulations to prevent future incidents, while concerns linger about safety at other airports, including Hollywood Burbank, highlighting the ongoing dialogue around air traffic safety in America.