29 Jan 202518:45 EST
Army helicopter departs Fort Belvoir
The NTSB said the UH-60, callsign PAT25, departed Davison Army Airfield at Fort Belvoir, Virginia, at 1845.
Incident
How the 2025 Reagan National midair collision unfolded
On the evening of January 29, 2025, a PSA Airlines CRJ700 operating as American Eagle flight 5342 collided with a US Army UH-60 Black Hawk over the Potomac River while approaching Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport. All 67 people aboard the two aircraft died. The NTSB determined in January 2026 that the FAA's placement of a helicopter route near a runway approach and reliance on visual separation were central causes, and the FAA has since restricted helicopter traffic near the airport.
29 January 2025 to today · 24 dated events · 10 sources
Where it stands now · as of 31 October 2026
The NTSB adopted its final report in January 2026 with 50 new recommendations, and the FAA's interim final rule keeps helicopter restrictions near DCA in place. The consolidated family lawsuits are set for a jury trial on April 12, 2027, in federal court in Washington. The ROTOR Act failed in the House in February 2026, and the House passed the separate ALERT Act in April 2026.
Next date
21 December 2026 Deadline for American Airlines and PSA Airlines summary judgment motions
21 December 2026 Deadline for American Airlines and PSA Airlines summary judgment motions
deaths67all aboard both aircraft
aboard the CRJ7006460 passengers and 4 crew
aboard the UH-603Army crew
new NTSB recommendations50A-26-008 through A-26-057
Overview · 29 Jan 2025 to 10 Aug 2026 · click a dot to jump
2025
29 Jan 202520:28 EST
PAT25 heads south toward Washington
PAT25 departed a heliport in Laytonsville, Maryland, at 2028 and headed south toward Washington, according to the NTSB.
29 Jan 202520:32 EST
Helicopter requests route through DCA airspace
At 2032 PAT25 contacted the DCA tower and requested to transition the airspace via Helicopter Routes 1 and 4.
29 Jan 202520:43 EST
Flight 5342 asked to take runway 33
At 2043:06 the first officer of flight 5342 contacted the DCA tower, and the controller asked whether the crew could accept runway 33.
29 Jan 202520:43 EST
Flight 5342 cleared to land
The NTSB said the controller instructed flight 5342 to circle to runway 33 and cleared it to land at 2043:39.
29 Jan 202520:46 EST
Turning point
Traffic advisory and visual separation
At 2046:02 the controller told PAT25 about CRJ traffic just south of the Wilson Bridge. The helicopter's instructor pilot reported the traffic in sight and requested visual separation, which the controller approved, according to the NTSB.
29 Jan 202520:47 EST
Conflict alert activates
A conflict alert activated at 2047:33, about 26 seconds before the collision, the NTSB said.
29 Jan 202520:47 EST
Controller queries helicopter, airliner gets TCAS alert
At 2047:39 the controller asked PAT25 whether it had the CRJ in sight. About the same time, at a radio altitude of 448 ft, the airliner's crew received a TCAS traffic advisory, the NTSB said.
29 Jan 202520:47 EST
Controller tells helicopter to pass behind
At 2047:42 the controller instructed PAT25 to pass behind the CRJ, but a press of the helicopter's radio switch blocked part of the instruction. At 2047:44 the instructor pilot again reported the aircraft in sight and requested visual separation, which was approved.
29 Jan 202520:47 EST
Turning point
Aircraft collide over the Potomac
The conflict alert activated again at 2047:59, and recorded data showed a deceleration consistent with impact at 2047:59.3. The NTSB said all 67 people aboard both aircraft died.
14 Feb 2025
NTSB briefs media
The NTSB held a media briefing on the collision.
11 Mar 2025
Turning point
NTSB issues urgent recommendations
With its preliminary report, the NTSB urged the FAA to prohibit helicopter operations near DCA when runways 15 and 33 are in use and to designate an alternative route. It said a helicopter on Route 4 at its 200 ft limit could have about 75 ft of vertical separation from a landing airplane.
14 Mar 2025
FAA permanently closes helicopter route
The FAA permanently restricted helicopters from the route near DCA where the collision occurred, with exceptions such as presidential, law enforcement and lifesaving flights. This made permanent restrictions imposed after the collision.
30 Jul 2025
Three day NTSB hearing opens
The NTSB held a three day investigative hearing from July 30 to August 1, 2025.
Oct 2025
FAA updates regional helicopter routes
The FAA updated helicopter routes and zones around DCA, Washington Dulles and Baltimore Washington airports, the Department of Transportation later said.
17 Dec 2025
Senate passes ROTOR Act
The Senate passed the ROTOR Act by unanimous consent. The bill, introduced on July 29, 2025, would require wider use of ADS-B location broadcasting and limit exemptions for military helicopters, according to NPR member station WFAE.
17 Dec 2025
Turning point
US government admits breach of duty
In its answer in federal court in Washington, the United States admitted it owed plaintiffs a duty of care, breached it, and that the breach proximately caused the collision. American Airlines and PSA Airlines moved to dismiss the claims against them the same day.
2026
22 Jan 2026
DOT formalizes permanent restrictions
The Department of Transportation announced an FAA interim final rule making permanent limits on nonessential helicopter and powered lift operations near DCA, including while runways 15 and 33 are in use, with public comment before a final rule.
“The safety of the American people will always be our top priority.”Sean Duffy, US Transportation Secretary, US Department of Transportation
27 Jan 2026
Turning point
NTSB determines probable cause
The NTSB determined the FAA placed a helicopter route close to a runway approach path and relied too heavily on visual separation. It also cited the helicopter crew's visual separation, the tower team's loss of situation awareness and Army altimeter training.
24 Feb 2026
House rejects ROTOR Act
The House voted 264 to 133 for the Senate passed ROTOR Act, short of the two thirds majority required under suspension of the rules, a day after the Pentagon withdrew its support.
27 Feb 2026
Airline dismissal motions set aside
Judge Ana C. Reyes denied American's and PSA's motions to dismiss as moot and without prejudice, allowing plaintiffs to file an amended master complaint, which they filed on March 27, 2026.
14 Apr 2026
House passes ALERT Act
The House passed its own aviation safety bill, the ALERT Act, by 396 to 10. Senate Commerce Committee leaders Ted Cruz and Maria Cantwell had said in March that it lacked a clear ADS-B requirement, CBS News reported.
10 Jun 2026
Airlines answer and cross-claim
American Airlines and PSA Airlines answered the amended complaint and filed cross-claims against the United States, according to the court docket.
10 Aug 2026
Cross-claims against government resolved
The airlines voluntarily dismissed their cross-claims after reaching a resolution with the government, and the judge thanked the parties for resolving them. Expert disclosures and summary judgment briefing were scheduled ahead of an April 12, 2027 jury trial.
Related timelines
Incident🇺🇸
Alaska 1282 door plug
On January 5, 2024, the left mid exit door plug separated from an Alaska Airlines Boeing 737-9 climbing out of Portland, Oregon, and the airplane returned and landed safe...
2024 to now · 27 eventsOngoing
Incident🇮🇩 🇪🇹 🇺🇸 🇫🇷
737 MAX crashes
Lion Air flight 610 crashed off Indonesia in October 2018 and Ethiopian Airlines flight 302 crashed near Addis Ababa in March 2019, killing all 346 people aboard the two ...
2018 to now · 24 eventsOngoing
Incident🇮🇳 🇬🇧 🇺🇸 🇵🇹
Air India 171 crash
On June 12, 2025, Air India flight 171, a Boeing 787-8 bound for London Gatwick, crashed into buildings in Ahmedabad shortly after takeoff, killing 241 of the 242 people ...
2025 to now · 23 eventsOngoing
Incident🇺🇸 🇸🇬 🇮🇳
Key Bridge collapse
Early on March 26, 2024, the containership Dali lost electrical power leaving Baltimore and struck a pier of the Francis Scott Key Bridge, which collapsed into the Pataps...
2024 to now · 23 eventsOngoing
Sources
10 records, ranked by type- 1Official record27 Jan 2026Investigation DCA25MA108: Midair collision near Ronald Reagan Washington National AirportNational Transportation Safety Board · ntsb.gov
- 2Official record27 Jan 2026Aircraft Accident Report AIR-26-02: Midair Collision, PSA Airlines Flight 5342 and US Army PAT25National Transportation Safety Board · ntsb.gov
- 3Official record11 Mar 2025NTSB Makes Urgent Recommendations on Helicopter Traffic Near Reagan National AirportNational Transportation Safety Board · ntsb.gov
- 4Social media post14 Mar 2025Helicopter route permanently closed near Washington airport where 67 died in midair crashAssociated Press via News4Jax · news4jax.com
- 5Official record22 Jan 2026Transportation Secretary formalizes permanent restrictions on aircraft near Reagan NationalUS Department of Transportation · transportation.gov
- 6News report22 Dec 2025US Admits Liability in Chopper-Jet Crash Over Potomac RiverInsurance Journal · amp.insurancejournal.com
- 7Official record24 Feb 2026S. 2503, ROTOR Act, all actionsCongress.gov (Library of Congress), read through its public API · congress.gov
- 8News report24 Feb 2026US House rejects aviation safety bill after Pentagon abruptly withdraws supportNPR via WFAE · wfae.org
- 9Official record28 Oct 2026In re Mid-Air Collision in Washington, D.C., Jan. 29, 2025, 1:25-cv-03382 (D.D.C.), docketCourtListener (RECAP docket) · courtlistener.com
- 10News report14 Apr 2026House passes ALERT Act aviation safety billCBS News · cbsnews.com
Last updated 31 October 2026. Spotted an error? See corrections. Every event links to the record it comes from. Allegations are attributed to whoever made them.