The incident occurred on January 29, over the Potomac River near Ronald Reagan National Airport, resulting in the loss of life for everyone on board both aircraft.
Key Findings
- The Black Hawk pilot, Capt. Rebecca Lobach, failed to heed her co-pilot’s instructions to turn left, despite receiving multiple warnings from air traffic controllers.
- The helicopter was flying too high, and its technology that could have tracked the aircraft more effectively was turned off.
- The air traffic controller did not issue clear, urgent instructions to the Black Hawk to avert the crash.
Flight Evaluation Gone Wrong
The incident involved Capt. Rebecca Lobach, a Black Hawk pilot with 500 hours of experience, conducting her annual flight evaluation with Chief Warrant Officer 2 Andrew Loyd Eaves as her flight instructor. The evaluation process typically involves flying with a certified instructor to assess the pilot’s skills and identify areas for improvement. During the flight, Eaves instructed Lobach to turn left, but she failed to comply. This decision had severe consequences, putting both aircraft at risk of collision.
Warning Signs Ignored
- The Black Hawk was 15 seconds away from crossing paths with the jet.
- Air traffic controllers informed the Black Hawk that an airliner was nearby, but Lobach and Eaves failed to heed the warning.
- When air traffic control instructed the Black Hawk to maintain visual separation, they acknowledged the message and requested permission to use their own observations instead of following instructions from air traffic control.
Human Error and System Failures
The investigation revealed that multiple errors contributed to the tragic incident.
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