A Year After the Potomac Collision: Grief, Questions, and Aviation Safeguards

One year after the Jan. 29, 2025 Potomac collision that killed 67 people, families and first responders recount their losses as authorities outline safety reforms: the NTSB cited a dangerously narrow 75-foot vertical separation between the helicopter route and the jet path, along with faulty helicopter altimeters and overreliance on visual separation with night vision gear; in response, the FAA has closed Route 4, re-routed helicopter traffic, banned visual separation within five miles of Reagan National, and issued nearly 50 recommendations with a final NTSB report pending.