Investigators look for answers in worst U.S. airline crash in two decades

Summary

Investigators Seek Answers in the Worst U.S. Airline Crash in Two Decades

Release Date: January 30, 2025
Podcast: Consider This from NPR
Host: Mary Louise Kelly

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1. The Tragic Collision

On a dark Wednesday night at approximately 8:00 PM (00:31), a catastrophic collision occurred over Washington, D.C. An American Airlines regional passenger jet en route from Wichita, Kansas, to Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport struck an Army Black Hawk helicopter. The force of the impact caused both aircraft to plummet into the freezing waters of the Potomac River. With 64 people aboard the passenger jet and three on the helicopter, the crash resulted in the loss of 67 lives—marking it as the worst U.S. airline disaster in over two decades.

Mary Louise Kelly vividly describes the scene:
"Washington, D.C. air traffic control staff saw a bright explosion. An American Airlines regional passenger jet... collided with an Army Black Hawk helicopter. Both aircraft plunged into the frigid Potomac waters below." (00:31)

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2. Emergency Response and Recovery Efforts

In the immediate aftermath, approximately 300 responders were dispatched to the disaster site, battling harsh conditions including heavy winds and icy waters.

John Donnelly, Chief of D.C. Fire and EMS, stated:
"They found heavy wind, they found ice on the water and they're operated all night in those conditions." (01:21)

Despite relentless search and rescue operations that lasted through the night, officials confirmed that no survivors were found. By the early morning, efforts transitioned to recovery, with Donnelly expressing confidence in retrieving all bodies:
"At this time, the search and rescue mission became a recovery mission. No survivors are expected." (01:27)

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3. Impact on Affected Communities

The devastation was felt deeply across multiple communities:

• Wichita, Kansas: As the origin of the ill-fated flight, the city is grappling with profound grief. Mayor Lily Woo conveyed the communal sorrow:
  "The tragedy will unite D.C. and Wichita forever." (01:55)

• Norwood, Massachusetts: Home to the Skating Club of Boston, the loss included several young elite figure skaters, their coaches, and family members. Dr. Tinley Albright, a long-serving club member and former Olympic champion, expressed disbelief:
  "I really can't believe that it happened because I pictured it right here." (02:16)

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4. The Figure Skating Community Mourns

The crash's impact on the figure skating world is especially poignant, reminiscent of a similar tragedy in 1961 when a plane carrying the entire U.S. figure skating team crashed in New York, claiming all lives onboard.

Becky Sullivan, NPR Sports Correspondent, highlighted the magnitude of the loss:
"These athletes who had dreams of competing in the Winter Olympics... now, that loss affects not just now, but the future of the sport." (10:42)

Doug Zeghe, head of the Skating Club of Boston, emphasized the tight-knit nature of the community:
"Skating is a very close and tight-knit community. These kids and their parents... we have lost family." (11:13)

The loss includes promising young skaters like Gina Hahn and Spencer Lane, their mothers, and esteemed coaches Jinya Shishkova and Vadim Nomav, former world champions from Russia.

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5. Investigation into the Cause

Led by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), the investigation seeks to uncover the factors leading to the fatal collision.

Jennifer Homendy, NTSB Chair, assured a meticulous inquiry:
"A thorough investigation, one that will follow the facts. We ask for patience." (05:31)

Key points from the investigation include:

• Black Boxes Unrecovered: Both the passenger jet's and potentially the helicopter's flight recorders remain unrecovered, though officials are optimistic about finding them:
  "Investigators did express confidence that they will be able to find them." (06:02)

• Helicopter Flight Path Issues: The Black Hawk helicopter was reportedly flying over 100 feet higher than the designated flight corridor's maximum altitude of 200 feet. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth mentioned a possible elevation issue without providing further details:
  "There was some sort of an elevation issue." (07:26)

Tom Bowman, NPR contributor, provided insights from defense analyst Brad Bowman:
"In these kinds of proficiency flights, an instructor pilot can sometimes test the less experienced pilot... but if the helicopter was flying that much higher, the instructor should have corrected it immediately." (07:30)

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6. Aviation Safety Context

This tragic event shatters the prolonged period of aviation safety in the U.S., with the last major crash occurring in 2009 in Buffalo, resulting in 50 fatalities. Jennifer Homendy contextualizes the investigation within broader aviation safety concerns:
"We've seen signs of strain in the aviation system... concern about a shortage of air traffic controllers." (08:13)

She emphasized that while air travel has been exceptionally safe, escalating traffic and potential staffing issues might have contributed factors, though the investigation is ongoing.

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7. Reflecting on History and Future Implications

The 2025 crash eerily mirrors the 1961 incident involving the figure skating team, leading to fears of similar long-term impacts on the sport. The loss of elite athletes and coaches poses a significant blow to the future talent and success of U.S. figure skating.

Sasha Pfeiffer, co-host, noted the community's shock and sorrow:
"How is it possible that this could have happened to us twice?" (12:34)

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Conclusion

This devastating airline crash not only represents the worst aviation disaster in the U.S. in over two decades but also strikes a deep emotional chord within the figure skating community and beyond. As investigators continue their meticulous examination, the nation mourns the loss of lives and grapples with the questions surrounding this tragic event.

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Notable Quotes:

• John Donnelly (Chief of D.C. Fire and EMS):
  "They found heavy wind, they found ice on the water and they're operated all night in those conditions." (01:21)

• Jennifer Homendy (NTSB Chair):
  "A thorough investigation, one that will follow the facts. We ask for patience." (05:31)

• Doug Zeghe (Head of the Skating Club of Boston):
  "Skating is a very close and tight-knit community. These kids and their parents... we have lost family." (11:13)

• Sasha Pfeiffer (Co-host):
  "How is it possible that this could have happened to us twice?" (12:34)

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This summary is based on the January 30, 2025 episode of NPR's "Consider This" titled "Investigators look for answers in worst U.S. airline crash in two decades."

Transcript

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[Mary Louise Kelly]

On Wednesday night was dark. Hardly any illumination from the moon, cold wind blowing across the city. And Then just before 9pm Washington, D.C. air traffic control staff saw a bright explosion. An American Airlines regional passenger jet flying from Wichita, Kansas into Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport collided with an Army Black Hawk helicopter. Both aircraft plunged into the frigid Potomac waters below. Some 300 responders rushed to help, searched through debris, searched for any survivors among the 64 people aboard the American flight and the three on board the helicopter. John Donnelly, chief of D.C. fire and EMS, told reporters Thursday morning that they worked through extreme conditions.

[Jennifer Homendy]

They found heavy wind, they found ice on the water and they're operated all night in those conditions.

[Mary Louise Kelly]

Early this morning, the search and rescue mission became a recovery mission. No survivors are expected. Donnelly said he was confident that all of the bodies would ultimately be recovered from the collision. Communities across the country were affected by the crash, but grief hung particularly heavy in Wichita, where the plane originated. In an emotional press conference, Mayor Lily Woo said the tragedy will unite D.C. and Wichita forever.

[Kunle]

At this time, our community needs to come together to support the family members who have been impacted, to come together in honor of those individuals on that flight and as a council we will lead in bringing this community together.

[Mary Louise Kelly]

Grief was also palpable in Norwood, Massachusetts, near Boston, where members of the Skating Club of Boston mourned the passengers affiliated with their organization. Dr. Tinley Albright is one of the longest serving members of the club and a former Olympic champion. I really can't believe that it happened because I pictured it right here. The coaches always stood at that entrance. The skaters just flew all over the ice, doing remarkable things and inspiring all of us. 1994 silver medalist Nancy Kerrigan, an alum of the skating club, joined the press conference, she said, because she herself needed support. The kids here really work hard. Their parents work hard to be here. But I just, I feel for the athletes, the skaters, their families, but anyone that was on that plane, not just the skaters, because it's just such a tragic event. Consider this the country is reeling from the most significant domestic airline disaster in more than two decades. Coming up, we remember those lost and dig into what could have gone wrong. From NPR, I'm Mary Louise Kelly.

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[Mary Louise Kelly]

It'S consider this from NPR Here in Washington and across the country, Americans are mourning the deaths of 67 people killed in the worst airline disaster in decades. At this hour, as we publish, recovery efforts continue and so does the investigation into what happened. It's being led by the Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board. NPR's Tom Bowman and Joel Rose have been following the investigation. I spoke to them both about the latest. Joel, I'm going to let you kick us off. Federal safety investigators held briefing today. What did they say?

[Jennifer Homendy]

The National Transportation Safety Board gave its first public update on the investigation. Board Chair Jennifer Homendy promised a thorough investigation, one that will follow the facts. And she was asked several times to speculate about the possible causes of the collision. And she asked for patience.

[Mary Louise Kelly]

You need to give us time. We need to verify information to make sure it is accurate. That's best for you. That's important for the families. It's important for legislators who are seeking answers.

[Jennifer Homendy]

Investigators did say that the passenger jet plunged into the Potomac river in a, quote, quick, rapid impact and and also said that they have not yet recovered the so called black boxes from the plane. The cockpit voice and flight data recorders but investigators did express confidence that they will be able to find them. They think the helicopter also had one of these recording devices that also could offer some clues about what happened.

[Mary Louise Kelly]

Yeah, on the helicopter. Tom Bowman, you covered the military. This was a military Blackhawk helicopter. What do we know about it?

[Tom Bowman]

Well, Mary Louise, the Black Hawk was on an annual proficiency training flight out of Fort Belvoir, Virginia, just south of Washington. It had a crew of three, a male instructor pilot with 1000 hours of flight time considered experience, and a woman co pilot with 500 hours considered normal for a pilot. There was also a male crew member aboard. All had night vision goggles. The Black Hawk was heading south along the Potomac in the direction of National Airport and like the plane, was in touch with the tower. Now there's a flight corridor for helicopters and the maximum height is 200ft. But sources I talk with say it appears a Black Hawk was flying higher, maybe more than than 100ft higher at the time of the crash. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth would only say there was some sort of an elevation issue. The investigation, of course, will determine whether the helicopter was in the corridor and at the right altitude.

[Mary Louise Kelly]

Say more about that. Are there working theories for what might have been going on with it?

[Tom Bowman]

Well, I spoke with Brad Bowman. He's a defense analyst and former Black Hawk pilot who commanded a company and flew this very same route. And after the 911 attacks, he says in these kinds of proficiency flights, an instructor pilot can sometimes test the less experienced pilot, watching to see, you know, how the pilot responds to different situations. But he said such a technique is probably not a good idea in such a busy area. And of course, if the helicopter was flying that much higher, the instructor should have corrected it immediately.

[Mary Louise Kelly]

I want people just to remember the history here because the accident sadly ends at remarkable streak. No major plane crashes for many years in the US There have been close calls, though.

[Jennifer Homendy]

Exactly. The last major accident was back in 2009 in Buffalo when 50 people were killed. This has been really an unprecedented era of safety for air travel in the U.S. but that said, there have been signs of strain in the aviation system, especially as traffic rebounded sharply after the COVID pandemic. We have seen a number of close calls on runways and near airports all over the country and concern about a shortage of air traffic controllers. We don't know yet if that was a factor here. I want to stress that the NTSB will hopefully give us an answer, just maybe not as quickly as everyone wants.

[Mary Louise Kelly]

MTR's Joel Rose and Tom Bowman, thanks To you both.

[Tom Bowman]

You're welcome.

[Jennifer Homendy]

You're welcome.

[Mary Louise Kelly]

More than a dozen passengers on the American Airlines flight that crashed last night in Washington, D.C. were Young Elite figure skaters, also their coaches and family members. They were returning home from a competition in Wichita, Kansas. And today the figure SK community is in mourning over their loss. As authorities have said, there are no survivors. My co host, Sasha Pfeiffer, spoke with NPR sports correspondent Becky Sullivan.

[Becky Sullivan]

How much do we know at this point about who exactly was on the plane?

[Sasha Pfeiffer]

Yeah, we're still awaiting confirmation on the full list of names, but I can share details about some of them. Two teenage figure skaters, Gina Hahn and Spencer Lane, who were on their way back to their homes in New England. Both of them were members of the Skating Club of Boston, which is one of the oldest training clubs in the country. They were traveling with their mothers, Jen Hahn and Christine Lane, who also on the flight, along with two coaches who were based in Boston. They were Jinya Shishkova and Vadim Nomav, a husband and wife pair who were competitors themselves for Russia back in the 1990s. They were world champions then. Coaches. Now, in addition to those six, we know that there were others, too, some of them from the D.C. area, although we're still waiting to confirm those details.

[Becky Sullivan]

We mentioned that they were coming home from a competition. Tell us more about why they were in Kansas.

[Sasha Pfeiffer]

Yeah. So there was a major competition in witch last week, the US Figure Skating Championships that wrapped up on Sunday. And then for a few days afterward, US Figure Skating, which is the governing body for the sport in this country, held a development camp for elite young skaters. This group was largely returning home from that development camp, which is especially tragic because it's a major achievement to be invited to a camp like that. Meaning the athletes who are on the plane were some of the most promising young figure skaters in the country who had just had one of the most exciting achievements of their young careers. And then it turned into tragedy. These are athletes who may have had dreams of competing in the Winter Olympics. Not next year. They're a little too young for that, probably, but perhaps in 2030.

[Becky Sullivan]

Yeah. So given all that, how is the figure skating community absorbing this news?

[Sasha Pfeiffer]

I mean, obviously, people are devastated. I think I can't emphasize enough that this is just not that big a world, this figure skating community. A very small group of these elite athletes and coaches who are regularly flying all across the country for competitions and training camps. And so to lose them like this has really shocked people. One of them we heard from today is Doug Zeghe. He's the head of the Skating Club of Boston, that training club that we mentioned some of these skaters and coaches belong to. And here's how he put it this morning.

[Jennifer Homendy]

Skating is a very close and tight knit community. These kids and their parents, they're here at our facility in Norwood six, sometimes seven days a week. It's a close, tight bond. And I think for all of us, we have lost family.

[Sasha Pfeiffer]

I think you can really hear it in his voice there, just how hard this is hitting.

[Mary Louise Kelly]

Yeah.

[Becky Sullivan]

You know, Becky, at our planning meeting this morning for today's show, one of the staff members mentioned this ear fact, which is that there was another plane crash in 1961 involving US figure skaters. I hadn't known that. That's true.

[Sasha Pfeiffer]

Yeah. Oh, definitely. Yeah. That was a flight from New York to Brussels that was carrying what was then the entire US Figure skating team en route to a world competition in Prague. They all died in that crash back then. And so I think that's part of what has been so shocking and upsetting to this community today. Back then, it was like you lost this entire generation of top level athletes, plus their coaches. And I think those who have been around the U.S. figure skating world for a long time will tell you that it did take decades for the sport here to recover from that crash. And so now, today, losing all these talented young skaters and their coaches, there's a sense that, you know, not only is it a loss for right now, but it's also a loss for the future of the sport as well. And folks are just feeling like, how is it possible that this could have happened to us twice?

[Becky Sullivan]

Right. Huge reverberations for years to come. That's NPR's Becky Sullivan. Thank you, Becky.

[Sasha Pfeiffer]

You're so welcome.

[Mary Louise Kelly]

This episode was produced by Briana Scott and Alaina Burnett. It was edited by Courtney Dorning, Andrew Sussman, Russell Lewis, Nadia Lancy, Tenbeat, Ermias, John Ketchum and Patrick Jaranwadanan. Our executive producer is Sammy Yenigun. It's considered this from npr. I'm Mary Louise Kelly.

[Sammy Yenigun]

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