N709PS

On January 29, 2025, about 2048 eastern standard time (EST), a Sikorsky UH-60L, operated by the US Army under the callsign PAT25, and an MHI (Mitsubishi Heavy Industries) RJ Aviation (formerly Bombardier) CL6002C10 (CRJ700), N709PS, operated by PSA Airlines as flight 5342, collided in flight approximately 0.5 miles southeast of Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA), Arlington, Virginia, and impacted the Potomac River in southwest Washington, District of Columbia.

The 2 pilots, 2 flight attendants, and 60 passengers aboard the airplane and all 3 crew members aboard the helicopter were fatally injured. Both aircraft were destroyed as a result of the accident. Flight 5342 was operating under the provisions of Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Part 121 as a scheduled domestic passenger flight from Wichita Dwight D. Eisenhower National Airport (ICT), Wichita, Kansas, to DCA. PAT25 originated from Davison Army Airfield (DAA), Fort Belvoir, Virginia, for the purpose of the pilot’s annual standardization evaluation with the use of night vision goggles (NVGs). Night visual meteorological conditions prevailed in the area of DCA at the time of the accident. Figure 1 below shows preliminary radar flight track information for PAT25 and preliminary automatic dependent surveillance-broadcast (ADS-B) information for flight 5342.

Figure 1. Google Earth image with preliminary ADS-B data for flight 5342 (blue line) and radar data for PAT25 (orange line).

The NTSB traveled to the accident site to start the investigation and supervised water recovery operations. As part of the investigative process, the NTSB invited qualified parties to participate in the investigation. These included PSA Airlines, GE Aerospace, Sikorsky, Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), the US Army, National Air Traffic Controllers Association, Air Line Pilots Association, Association of Flight Attendants, International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers, Collins Aerospace, and the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority. The Transportation Safety Board of Canada provided an accredited representative and Transport Canada and MHI RJ Aviation are their technical advisors.

The parties were formed into specialized investigative groups led by NTSB group chairs in the areas of Air Carrier Operations and Human Performance, Airplane Structures, Airplane Systems, Powerplants, Helicopter Operations and Human Performance, Air Traffic Control (ATC) and Human Performance, Helicopter Airworthiness, Aircraft Performance, Survival Factors, and Flight Recorders (consisting of subgroups for airplane flight data recorder [FDR], airplane cockpit voice recorder [CVR], helicopter FDR, and helicopter CVR. All NTSB Board members visited the accident location, with Member Inman acting as the Member on-scene.

Crew Experience

Flight 5342

Both flight crewmembers of flight 5342 held airline transport pilot certificates with type ratings for the CL-65 (which includes the CRJ-200, CRJ-700, and CRJ-900 airplanes). The captain had accumulated about 3,950 total hours of flight experience, of which about 3,024 hours were in the accident airplane make and model. The captain held an FAA first-class medical certificate issued on January 10, 2025.

The first officer (FO) had accumulated about 2,469 total hours of flight experience, of which about 966 hours were in the accident airplane make and model. The FO held an FAA first-class medical certificate issued on October 31, 2024. The captain was the pilot flying, and the FO was the pilot monitoring for the entirety of the accident flight.

PAT25

The flight crew of PAT25 consisted of an instructor pilot (IP), pilot, and a crew chief. According to information provided by the US Army, both pilots were current and qualified in the accident helicopter. The IP held the rank of Chief Warrant Officer 2 and had accumulated about 968 total hours of flight experience, of which about 300 hours were in the accident helicopter make and model. The pilot held the rank of Captain and had accumulated about 450 total hours of flight experience, of which about 326 hours were in the accident helicopter make and model. The crew chief held the rank of Staff Sargeant and had accumulated about 1,149 total flight hours, all of which was in UH-60 helicopters.

History of Flight

The following is preliminary information derived from both aircraft’s flight data recorders (FDRs) and cockpit voice recorders (CVRs) as well as ATC radar data and communications.

Flight 5342 departed ICT at 1839 EST on an instrument flight rules flight plan. The helicopter flight crew filed a visual flight rules flight plan with DAA base operations and departed at 1845 with the IP in the right seat and the pilot in the left seat.

About 2015, flight 5342 started its initial descent.

About 2030, PAT25 began travelling generally southbound after maneuvering near Laytonsville, Maryland. CVR audio from the helicopter indicated the IP was the pilot flying and the pilot was the pilot monitoring and transmitting on the radio at this time.

PAT25 first checked in with the DCA tower controller at 2032. The controller issued the altimeter setting of 29.89 inches of mercury, and the PAT25 crew acknowledged by correctly reading back the altimeter setting. Following this initial contact with DCA tower, the crew conducted a change of control; the pilot became the pilot flying and the IP became the pilot monitoring and transmitting on the radio for the remainder of the flight.

At 2033:41, the PAT25 crew requested Helicopter Route 1 to Route 4 to DAA, which the tower controller approved. At 2038:39, the helicopter reached the intersection of the DC Beltway and the Potomac River near Carderock, Maryland. After briefly turning westbound, PAT25 turned back to the east and began descending as it picked up Helicopter Route 1 over the Potomac River southeast toward downtown Washington, DC.

At 2039:10, Potomac Approach cleared the crew of flight 5342, which was inbound to DCA from the south, for the Mount Vernon Visual Runway 1 approach. At 2040:46, the airplane rolled out of a left turn established on the instrument landing system localizer for runway 1, at approximately 4,000 ft pressure altitude, 170 knots (kts), with the landing gear up and flaps extended to 20º.

At 2043:06, the flight 5342 crew made initial contact with DCA tower. At this time, the airplane was about 10.5 nautical miles (nm) from DCA. The tower controller asked if the crew could switch to runway 33. The crew agreed, and the controller subsequently cleared flight 5342 for landing on runway 33. The crew acknowledged and read back the clearance.

At 2043:48, PAT25 was about 1.1 nm west of the Key Bridge. According to the helicopter’s CVR, the pilot indicated that they were at 300 ft. The IP indicated they were at 400 ft. Neither pilot made a comment discussing an altitude discrepancy. At 2044:27, as the helicopter approached Key Bridge, the IP indicated that the helicopter was at 300 ft descending to 200 ft.

The flight 5342 FDR indicated that, between 2044:41 and 2044:45, the crew selected 30º of flaps and then 45º of flaps. At 2044:49, the airplane’s landing gear were down and locked. The airplane was fully configured for landing about 6.2 nm south of the airport. At 2045:27, the autopilot was disconnected and flight 5342 began a shallow right turn off of the runway 1 localizer at a radio altitude of approximately 1,700 ft and an airspeed of 134 kts. This occurred approximately 5 nm south of the airport.

At 2045:14, the crew of PAT25 advised the controller of their position over the Memorial Bridge. At 2045:30, PAT25 passed over the Memorial Bridge. CVR data revealed that the IP told the pilot that they were at 300 ft and needed to descend. The pilot said that they would descend to 200 ft. At 2045:58, the helicopter crossed over the Washington Tidal Basin and followed the Washington Channel consistent with Helicopter Route 1.

At 2046:02, a radio transmission from the tower was audible on flight 5342’s CVR informing PAT25 that traffic just south of the Wilson Bridge was a CRJ (flight 5342) at 1,200 ft circling to runway 33.

CVR data from the helicopter indicated that the portion of the transmission stating the CRJ was “circling” may not have been received by the crew of PAT25. The word “circling” is heard in ATC communications as well as the airplane’s CVR, but not on the helicopter’s CVR.

At 2046:08, the PAT25 crew reported that they had the traffic in sight and requested to maintain visual separation. The controller approved the request. At this time, the distance between the two aircraft was about 6.5 nm. Figure 2 shows each aircraft’s approximate position at 2046:02, when the controller first advised the crew of PAT25 of flight 5342.

Figure 2. Google Earth image with airplane and helicopter preliminary flight tracks overlaid, and each aircraft’s approximate position shown at 2046:02.

At 2046:29, the flight 5342 CVR data indicated that the crew received a 1,000-ft automated callout.

At 2046:48, DCA tower cleared other jet traffic on runway 1 for immediate departure with no delay.

At 2047:27, or 32 seconds before impact, PAT25 passed the southern tip of Hains Point.

About one second later, flight 5342 began a left roll to turn to final on runway 33. The airplane was at a radio altitude of 516 ft and 133 kts. At 2047:29, the crew of flight 5342 received a 500-ft automated callout.

At 2047:39, or 20 seconds before impact, a radio transmission from the tower was audible on both CVRs asking the PAT25 crew if the CRJ was in sight. A conflict alert was audible in the background of the ATC radio transmission.

At 2047:40, the crew of flight 5342 received an automated traffic advisory from the airplane’s traffic alert and collision avoidance system (TCAS) system stating, “Traffic, Traffic.” At this time, the aircraft were about 0.95 nm apart, as shown in Figure 3.

Figure 3. Google Ea...