The US National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has found the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) provided "unacceptable" responses to 11 of 33 safety recommendations. These recommendations were issued after a mid-air collision near Washington in January 2025 killed 67 people.
The NTSB states that the FAA did not commit to requiring a safety technology known as ADS-B In. NTSB Chair Jennifer Homendy indicated that this system would have provided warnings to the aircraft crews before the crash.
The 2025 incident, involving an American Airlines regional jet and an Army Black Hawk helicopter near Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, was the deadliest US aviation accident in over two decades. An NTSB investigation concluded in January that systemic FAA shortcomings caused the crash.
The FAA has stated it has completed helicopter flight route assessments in four cities, is reviewing six others, and has issued instructions for physical separation between aircraft. However, the NTSB noted the regulatory body gave no indication of drafting future rules to mandate ADS-B In technology.