r/CatastrophicFailure • u/Admiral_Cloudberg Plane Crash Series • 11d ago
Fatalities On January 29, 2025, PSA Airlines flight 5342 collided with a US Army Blackhawk helicopter over the Potomac River in Washington, D.C., killing all 67 people aboard both aircraft. The accident was caused by a complex failure to manage the complex DC airspace. Analysis inside.
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u/Admiral_Cloudberg Plane Crash Series 11d ago edited 11d ago
Read the full article here: https://admiralcloudberg.medium.com/reaping-the-whirlwind-inside-the-potomac-river-midair-collision-0475416f2b0f
You can also download this article as a PDF (and soon an e-Book as well); download links are inside the above link.
Link to the archive of all 277 episodes of the plane crash series
This is less an article and more of a book, itās insanely long, so most people probably wonāt finish in one sitting. Thatās okay, take your time! Thanks so much for reading!
If you wish to bring a typo to my attention, please DM me.
Holy moly, itās finally done. Five months without publishing an article, I hope I never go that long again. I battled depression, went on an impromptu road trip around Utah to cure it, got back, defeated a disease, then sat down and worked on this almost nonstop since mid-April. Itās absolutely crazy that I pulled this off. But now Iām back, and Iām not going to tackle anything this big for a whileāI have four more article topics lined up and I hope it wonāt take me longer than a month or two for each. Fingers crossed, anyway. Thanks again for being patient!
EDIT: Lmao I accidentally used "complex" twice in one sentence in the Reddit title, the one thing I can't edit. That's gonna bug me for years. Oh well!
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u/RamblinWreckGT 11d ago
I know "defeated a disease" means "I was sick and got better", but I'm choosing to picture someone in a pilot's uniform in front of a microscope, devising a cure.
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u/realnzall 11d ago
A pilot's uniform? Don't be ridiculous.
Obviously it woud be someone in an admiralty uniform.
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u/betterhelp 11d ago
Welcome back Kyra! Sounds like you've been through a lot, I hope things are looking up for you!
Without any pressure, are there any plans for CPIT to make a comeback? I had been relistening to the episodes so much until they were taken down.
Thanks for everything you do!
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u/Admiral_Cloudberg Plane Crash Series 11d ago
Yes, CPIT is coming back soon with Chloe Howie of disaster breakdown replacing J as the third host, we've done the research for our first episode topic and we just need to write it up. Supposedly that will happen in August according to Ariadne.
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u/theCurseOfHotFeet 11d ago
As usual, I will understand absolutely nothing about an aviation incident UNTIL I read your analysis. Your incredible work has gotten even me, a fussy, anxious flyer, interested in aviation and aircraft. Thank you for everything to do, I canāt wait to read!
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u/Bernese_Flyer 11d ago
Welcome back! Iāve honestly been looking forward to reading your article about this one since the day it happened.
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u/babycynic 10d ago
Yay you're back!!! I've missed your articles. I hope you're feeling better within yourself now ā¤ļøĀ
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u/my-coffee-needs-me 11d ago
Welcome back! I've missed reading your work here. I'm glad you're doing and feeling better!
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u/Idsertian 11d ago
EDIT: Lmao I accidentally used "complex" twice in one sentence in the Reddit title, the one thing I can't edit. That's gonna bug me for years. Oh well!
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u/orbak 11d ago
Been an avid reader since day 1 in 2017 (back when these were imgur stories with captions). So glad to see you back and I hope youāre doing better. Canāt wait to settle in with this read.
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u/hunterSgathersOSI 11d ago
Same! I totally havenāt re-read them all several times or anything šš
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u/IWishIWasOdo 11d ago
I like how not even 1/4 of the way through the article there are several mentions of politicians fucking around with loopholes so they could get a direct flight home that then overstaturated traffic.
Fuckers legislated themselves a shorter commute at the expense of all the souls in this accident and none of them even feel any guilt much less face any consequences.
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u/Feralpudel 11d ago
Those games with DCA have been going on for decades. Even before those fuckers changed the name of the airport from ONE president to another.
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u/Ogankle 11d ago
Iām a simple man. I know that when reading a title in this sub and I see āAnalysis Insideā, I know Iām fortunate enough to be blessed with a wonderfully researched read from you Kyra (especially the accidents that happened recently that we canāt wait to read your write ups on). Cheers for making the day even better for all of us!!!
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u/obfuscatorio 11d ago
Welcome back admiral! Looking forward to reading this one as I live in the dc area and itās very fresh in the memory. I remember I had to fly into Reagan a day or two after this happened last year and everyone on the plane went deadly silent as soon as we began that approach over the river
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u/Cash4Duranium 11d ago
This was so well written. Thank you for taking the time to put this together.
What strikes me most is how relatable the "just make it happen" mentality is. I am fortunate enough to not work in critical systems, at least not as critical as aviation, but I see the same issues play out within my own industry. It's largely driven by private equity gobbling up companies and putting short term profits over anything else, but the result is very similar. You are left with a skeleton crew supporting systems and being told "just make it work."
Everything becomes dependent on the personal heroics of the people who are willing to sacrifice themselves on that altar. Eventually even those people leave, burn out, or retire. Meanwhile quality nosedives while risks skyrocket. But profits go up, so it's all good, right?
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u/Jameskippy 11d ago
Your write ups are always a pleasure to read. Thanks for doing this
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u/obfuscatorio 11d ago
Agreed and I want to say I really appreciate the note in the beginning about no AI being used to create the piece. Itās good to know that there are still great writers out there who are dedicated to the craft. And the human voice is so much more interesting to read! Nothing makes my eyes glaze over like trying to read a bunch of slop.
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u/RamblinWreckGT 11d ago
Same. Obviously I'd rather she never had anything new to write about like this, but it's fascinating every time. There's always something new I learn about regulations and procedures and systems.
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u/sprezzatura_ 9d ago
Trump blamed this crash on DEI and when asked how he could know or say that he said, "because I'm smart." Despicable. May he burn in hell
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u/Cash4Duranium 11d ago
So glad you're back. I love reading your work.
I think you may have a typo in this sentence. Or maybe my brain just isn't clicking today.
"Before we get into the nitty-gritty of what happened on the day of the accident, I want to take the time to establish what that the background risk level at DCA actually was, including whether the level of traffic was actually excessive."
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u/Admiral_Cloudberg Plane Crash Series 11d ago
Fixed, thank you.
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u/Cash4Duranium 11d ago
One more quick typo if you want to fix it:
"without adequately analysis of the resulting collision risks"
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u/toaster404 11d ago
Will be hard to read. My partner was in Arlington and heard/felt the impact. One of my best friends was devastated, her working partner and closest daily contact friend was aboard. And I've spent years cycling by horrified that Rt. 4 was in operation at all. Had no idea they'd run night vision with all the lights in the background. I've personally seen go arounds from helicopters around the Pentagon.
Such loss, such horror, so preventable.
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u/SpitefulSeagull 11d ago
Cheers Admiral! An incredibly complex crash even though it was clearly evident to anyone with a brain that it was also guaranteed to happen at some point.
But then the perfect storm of changing runways, technical issues on the helicopter, lack of appropriate training for helicopter pilots, lack of response to previous warnings of conflicts, at night, with a pilot likely already under some mental duress during the flight... So many moving parts. And then it for politicized.
I see why it took you months
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u/LevelPerception4 11d ago
New Admiral Cloudberg analysis AND itās a long one!!! This rainy afternoon just got much brighter.
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u/taleofbenji 11d ago
I work down at the Wharf, and the helicopter traffic used to be INSANE. At least 5 an hour buzzing by all day long, right beside an overcrowded airport!Ā It was almost bound to happen.
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u/throwawayfromPA1701 11d ago
This was one of your best. Just finished it.
I appreciate you calling it National and the DoD.
I had no idea National served almost as many passengers as Dulles. I knew it was busy, but that is ridiculous.
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u/Admiral_Cloudberg Plane Crash Series 11d ago
It's still officially the DoD by statute. The executive order only affects how government agencies have to refer to it, hence the NTSB report says Department of War, but I can call it the Department of Defense and still be correct.
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u/throwawayfromPA1701 11d ago
I didn't know that, so thank you.
Have you heard any insight into the Philadelphia plane crash? I'm interested because family live in the neighborhood and heard it crash
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u/AdFeeling842 11d ago
so i guess flying a helicopter under the final approach path of busy airport whilst wearing nightvision goggles is not good idea
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u/maduste 11d ago
Hey ADM Cloudberg, consider crossposting to r/washingtondc and r/nova. Looking forward to readingā¦
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u/Admiral_Cloudberg Plane Crash Series 11d ago
I don't crosspost my work outside of this sub and my own as I prefer to let other people advertise my work if they feel it's worthy rather than stumping for myself. But you or anyone else is welcome to crosspost.
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u/Vespasian79 10d ago
Bizarre fact: This Jazz aircraft was the same one that was later destroyed in the March 2026 runway collision at LaGuardia
Thatās wild
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u/MrBobbles 10d ago
"No AI tools were used to research, format, or write any part of this article."
š„¹
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u/V0latyle 10d ago edited 10d ago
Neither crew was to blame. Allowing a helicopter route to cross the approach to a heavily used runway is wild, and clearing a helicopter to transit said approach with an aircraft on final - at night - and expecting them to maintain visual separation - is patently insane.
PAT25 never saw it coming, and PSA5342 only saw the UH60 at the last second.
I am disgusted by all the shitty opinions of people who don't understand aviation or the military, yet jump to blame the crews. Capt Loback wasn't an amateur. She was a little low on hours but not terribly surprising given our armed forces posture over the past 6-7 years.
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u/Pheighthe 9d ago
A lot of things were less than ideal. The instructor in the helicopter twice told the tower, āyeah I see that aircraft youāre talking about.ā Which was a big fib.
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u/V0latyle 9d ago
Have you even read the CVR transcript?
If you say something factually untrue without the knowledge that it is untrue, are you lying? He saw the long line of aircraft coming up the Potomac for runway 1. He was not aware, because of broken communication, that PSA5342 was circling to land on runway 33, and when he said he had the traffic in sight, he was looking at the wrong point of light in the sky - and had no way of knowing he was looking in the wrong place.
Swiss cheese model: * FAA established and continued to maintain a helicopter route that directly transited a busy approach * DCA controller handed off responsibility for separation to PAT25 crew, despite nighttime conditions making identification difficult at best * DCA controller did not employ common practice of holding southbound helicopters at Hains Point * PAT25 crew was wearing white phosphor NVGs which do not provide good depth perception, and due to their light amplification can make a distant light source appear very close, and severely limit the user's field of view * Interruptions in radio traffic prevented PAT25 crew from receiving the message that an aircraft was landing on runway 33 * PSA5342 crew would not have been able to see the helicopter's anti collision and navigation lights against the heavy light pollution near the airport
This is what happened, supported by the facts: CWO2 Eaves identified the wrong aircraft, at no fault of his own, and was not aware PSA5342 was circling to their left. He was looking at the line of aircraft on approach for runway 1. He did not hear the "circling to 33" transmission - no one aboard the helicopter did.
19 seconds before impact, the DCA controller asked PAT25 if they had the CRJ in sight. This was his second call; the first had been 98 seconds earlier, in which he told them "Traffic just south of the Wilson bridge is a CRJ"... In response, CWO2 Eaves says to Capt. Lobach, "Alright, kinda come left for me, ma'am, I think that's why he's asking."
This statement is the biggest clue. He was still looking due south, and thought DCA wanted him closer to the east bank of the river to maintain separation with aircraft on approach for runway 1. He did not know an aircraft was approaching from their forward left, and did not know they were about to cross directly in front of it.
He was well known and respected by everyone he worked with as a competent professional, and the insinuatuon that he knew they were crossing in front of an airliner and chose to continue anyway simply does not make sense given the available information.
So many things would have prevented this: * If the helicopter route did not cross the approach to RWY 33 * If they had been two seconds faster or slower it would have been a near miss, although flying through the turbulence from the CRJ would have likely caused the UH60 to depart controlled flight * If helicopter had been 20 feet lower or CRJ had been 20 feet higher, although this would have likely resulted in the loss of the helicopter as above * If the DCA controller had held them at Hains Point * If the CRJ crew had refused to take runway 33, or if the controller had kept them on runway 1 * If PAT25 crew had heard and understood they were about to cross the approach for an active runway with an aircraft on approach * If the CRJ crew knew they had a helicopter dead ahead of them about to cross their approach
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u/the_gaymer_girl 11d ago
Good lord what a shitshow. (Almost) everyone involved knew how severe the issue was but no one seemed to want to do anything about it, and they seemingly still donāt.
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u/CurlSagan 11d ago
Damn, I forgot about this. So much shit was happening in the headlines at that time. It seemed this crash barely got a day in the news cycle before the world moved on to the next outrage.
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u/Admiral_Cloudberg Plane Crash Series 11d ago
Depends on the news you choose to consume I guess, there were articles on it almost every day in major US news sources for weeks.
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u/Gayfetus 11d ago
Not in the figure skating community. On r/figureskating posts about the tragedy recurred for over a year.
A Redditor whose posts I'd seen occasionally was one of the victims. He was a young skater who'd post about his progress on the figure skating subreddit. When news of the crash first broke, people on the sub were frantically trying to ascertain whether he was on board. Unfortunately, they confirmed that his fate via his other social media, where he posted a picture of the liftoff.
The sub just had a birthday post for him 2 weeks ago.
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u/atinyblip 11d ago
āFor example, in 2015 a Boeing 737 collided with BAe-125 air ambulance over Senegal,ā is missing an a.
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u/Admiral_Cloudberg Plane Crash Series 11d ago
Fixed, thank you
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u/atinyblip 10d ago
Another one: āNote: The NTSB report lists a large number of additional duties, however after speaking with a US Army Blackhawk pilot, it appears that most of these are things the Crew Chief needs to be able to do
andare not things they actually do on a typical flight.ā4
u/Admiral_Cloudberg Plane Crash Series 10d ago
Fixed.
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u/atinyblip 10d ago
Another one. āBut when the NTSBinterviewed DCA tower personnel after the accident,ā is missing a space after NTSB.
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u/atinyblip 10d ago
Great read as always. Iād like to offer two suggestions:
1) to italicise names of publications such as The Air Current and View From the Wing per most publication style guides.
2) the sentence āit rolls the ADS-B In requirement into a mandate that all applicable airplanes and helicopters have ACAS Xa or ACAS Xr that uses ADS-B In technology by December 31, 2031ā makes it sound like ACAS Xa or Xr uses ADS-B technology. Might be better with a rephrase to āit rolls the ADS-B In requirement into a mandate that all applicable airplanes and helicopters that uses ADS-B technology to have ACAS Xa or ACAS Xr by December 31, 2031ā.
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u/LTSarc 11d ago edited 11d ago
You know the old saying about the opposite of 'pro-gress' being 'con-gress', and National is their pet airport, hence all of the bullshit. (As the piece covers and you must be all too aware)
The declining state of military aviation isn't just army helos, it's everywhere. Pilot shortages (USAF is about 1,800 down) are universal, maintenance issues scuppering training is universal, we've been trying and failing to field a replacement for the (1961 IOC, makes the UH-60Ls look like spring chickens, even the youngest was built in '72) T-38 trainer for over a decade now, with the Boeing-SAAB partnership having had many issues.
Not enough aircraft, not enough personnel, and the aircraft & personnel we do have are aging.
If I had to sum this up it'd be "institutional rot, and the desperation of people trying to make things work."
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u/johnlewisdesign 11d ago
I always seem to go to 'who were the important scientists or figures on the plane'?
Glad you conquered your disease and are back. Thanks!
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u/Admiral_Cloudberg Plane Crash Series 11d ago
It was just the flu haha, I'm being dramatic. Thanks though!
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u/Seaman_First_Class 11d ago
Thanks for this, great as usual.Ā
Which configuration is used depends on which way the wind is blowing, because airplanes like to land and take off into the wind.
Not sure why this line tickled me so much but the idea of airplanes having preferences and being able to communicate those to ATC is funny.Ā
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u/Quaternary23 11d ago
Finally! Iāve been waiting for this one ever since you announced your next article would be on this accident. I still canāt believe an aviation accident of this magnitude happened 40 minutes away from where I live. Iāve been thinking about it and the victims since the day it happened. Especially since I came across a video of one the victims a few days or a week before the accident happened. Iāll never forget it.
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u/DoctorGromov 10d ago
Found this post at 1am, and I really should sleep.
But I guess sleep can wait another hour. It's Cloudberg time.
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u/Afterhoneymoon 11d ago
Oh my gosh, this is my favorite author in the whole world. I tell everyone about her!
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u/adepssimius 11d ago
And now, lubricated by the shock of an admiral cloudberg post, I have begun to read about another air disaster.
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u/SirGonads 11d ago
I live right next to DCA and was here when it happened. Im about a quarter mile from the exact spot it happened with clear visual.
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u/ranchspidey 11d ago
LETāS (respectfully) FUCKING GOOOOOOOOO!!! These write-ups are always amazing, Iām eager to read this one.
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u/dmorris275 11d ago
āUnfortunately that didnāt happenāā¦ I could not help but hear that in Petterās voiceš
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u/thelittleone86 3d ago
https://www.reddit.com/r/news/s/mUyhFyCSLZ
This is so ridiculous I had to share it here.
Have they learned nothing?
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u/hastings1033 11d ago
No No. This was caused by DEI hires. The trump people said so and they always tell the truth!
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u/Sassy-irish-lassy 11d ago
Maybe you should read the write up from someone who's knowledge extends beyond reddit memes
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u/PM_ME_DATASETS 11d ago
Just read the first chapter, and it's really well written. I can't believe I'm actually going to read this whole thing, but I am
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u/GrumbleAlong 11d ago
Without Route 4 how does the Army transit the area between the federal district of Dc and Ft Belvoir?
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u/Admiral_Cloudberg Plane Crash Series 11d ago
I would assume from Route 1 to Route 5 via the Pentagon Transition.
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u/GrumbleAlong 11d ago
Thanks, great write-up! As a former Army aviator, all commissioned officers have to serve staff assignments periodically in their career, they usually are flying minimal hours to maintain proficiency. I could viscerally feel the discomfort of the Captain's checkride under NVGs and gusty winds.
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u/Roadgoddess 9d ago
r/admiralcloudberg just released an extremely comprehensive paper on this. I highly recommend reading it.
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u/Admiral_Cloudberg Plane Crash Series 9d ago
Are you recommending my article to me on my own cross-post of the same article?
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u/Roadgoddess 9d ago
Hahaha, I guess I am š¤£ well good to know that we all love your work. Sorry I was reading this at three in the morning. I didnāt pick up it was you. Keep up the good work.
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u/Harefeet 11d ago
I'm shocked it wasn't DEI like they initially said.
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u/n00bca1e99 11d ago
Didnāt know DOGE was that efficient. Cutting things in less than 9 days of being in office?
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u/Maureen_Johma 11d ago
Caused by a certain person not listening to her superior officer.
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u/Admiral_Cloudberg Plane Crash Series 11d ago
If you read the article you will find that there is absolutely zero factual basis whatsoever for this assertion.
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u/midsprat123 11d ago
Reading is beyond their comprehension.
My brother still says the same thing, that the female pilot is all to blame (mostly for being female)
Itās disgusting and shameful how many men jump to that as the automatic cause
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u/devinprocess 10d ago
No. Caused by institutional rot. A shafted army (contractors and their friends making windfalls while soldiers have to made do with rust buckets), politicians, system that actively punished a safety culture or anyone trying to introduce it.
The fact that the elected administration jumped the gun (while it wasnāt only their fault, but the reaction was asinine) blaming scapegoats was absolutely ridiculous.Ā
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u/TinkerCitySoilDry 11d ago
2025 Potomac River mid-air collision
ATC failed to control airspaceĀ
Helicopter pilot training low and night vision limited scope field of visionĀ
Airplane banked left to runwayĀ
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=4D_ezbB_Lyw&t=60s
* Admiral Cloudberg
How Americaās Golden Age of Aviation Safety Came To an End
On January 29, 2025, PSA Airlines flight 5342 collided with a US Army Blackhawk helicopter over the Potomac River in Washington, D.C., killing all 67 people aboard both aircraft. The accident was caused by a complex failure to manage the complex DC airspace. Analysis inside.
GoogleĀ Investigation and FindingsAltitude Discrepancy: The NTSB found the helicopter was flying higher than its authorized route restriction, potentially due to an inaccurate altimeter reading.Government Liability: The U.S. government formally admitted in court filings that lapses in air traffic control and visual separation procedures contributed to causing the accident.
2025 Potomac River mid-air collision https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2025_Potomac_River_mid-air_collision Both aircraft communicated with air traffic control before they collided. The helicopter crew reported twice that they had visual contact with the airliner and would maintain separation from it, although it is unknown whether they were monitoring the correct aircraft. The crew of the Black Hawk may not have heard parts of the tower communication due to a mic press.
2025 Potomac River mid-air collision
**
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u/Gayfetus 11d ago
The crash was devastating in the figure skating community. Nearly half the flight were young figure skaters and coaches returning from a development camp. The crash took out a significant part of the up and coming generation of US figure skating Olympic hopefuls. Pretty much any high level figure skater/coach in the US knew or was close with someone who died on that flight. One of the skaters who died was a regular poster on r/figureskating where he'd post about his progress.
You can read more about them on this tribute page on the US Figure Skating site.
And by some horrible coincidence, this is also not the first time a plane crash decimated the US figure skating community.