Remarks as Prepared for Delivery
Good morning. We are now in session.
I’m Jennifer Homendy, and I’m honored to serve as Chairwoman of the National Transportation Safety Board and Chair of this Board of Inquiry.
I’m joined by my fellow Board Members:
- Member Michael Graham;
- Member Tom Chapman; and
- Member Todd Inman.
Given Member Chapman’s recusal, Member Graham, Member Inman, and I will comprise the Board of Inquiry for this investigative hearing, the notice for which was published in the Federal Register on July 11, 2025.
For those who may not be familiar with the NTSB, we’re an independent federal agency charged by Congress with investigating every civil aviation accident in the United States and significant accidents and incidents in all other modes of transportation.
At the conclusion of our investigations, we issue a final report that is deliberated at a public meeting and includes factual information gathered in the course of that investigation, analysis of that factual information, a set of findings, and a probable cause or causes. We also issue safety recommendations aimed at preventing recurrence of that accident or incident.
The NTSB strives to identify and report accurately all relevant facts, conditions, and circumstances relating to each accident or incident we investigate. And, when necessary, we hold investigative hearings.
An investigative hearing allows the NTSB to gather sworn testimony from witnesses on issues identified by the investigative team for a specific event or systemic safety issue. Investigative hearings are “fact-finding proceedings.” The purpose is to “receive testimony and evidence which may be of aid in determining the cause of an accident.”
This hearing is a critical part of our ongoing investigation of the fatal midair collision involving a Sikorsky UH-60L operated by the U.S. Army (under the callsign PAT25) and PSA Airlines flight 5342, a CRJ700, that occurred over the Potomac River near Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport at about 8:48 pm eastern standard time on January 29, 2025.
As a result of the collision, the two pilots, two flight attendants, and 60 passengers aboard the airplane and all three crewmembers aboard the helicopter were fatally injured. Both aircraft were destroyed by impact forces.
I’d like to take a moment to address the families and friends who lost loved ones in this horrific tragedy. On behalf of everyone at the NTSB, please accept our heartfelt condolences and our deepest sympathies. I imagine today will be extremely difficult for each of you, which is why I’ve asked several representatives from our Transportation Disaster Assistance Division to be here and provide support to anyone who may need it.
I also want to thank the American Red Cross for being here. Volunteer mental health clinicians from the Red Cross will be available for the duration of this hearing to provide emotional support for anyone attending.
Please know that your loved ones are why we fight so hard for safety … they are why we are meeting today for this investigative hearing. Because no one should ever suffer the loss you feel today.
But I do want to commend you for your remarkable selflessness. In the wake of tragedy, you have courageously spoken out and advocated for important reforms to save lives and improve aviation safety. I hope the information that we uncover during this hearing will support your efforts.
Among those who perished on January 29th were 3 brave and highly respected soldiers who dedicated their lives to defending our nation. To their families I say: You made their service possible. Alongside our condolences, please also accept our enduring gratitude on behalf of a grateful nation. The contributions of military families like yours — through your love, your support, and your resilience — cannot be overstated.
I’d also like to acknowledge and honor the many active-duty service members and military veterans here today, as well as their families. Thank you for your unwavering commitment to our nation; each of us is forever in your debt.
Finally, I also want to thank the first responders on behalf of the Board. Over 90 organizations responded to the scene of this tragedy to support search-and-recovery efforts and assist in our investigative work. Law enforcement, fire officials, dive teams, federal, state and local agencies … we don’t often talk about it, but they’re human, too — and what they experience can also be quite difficult. Thank you for your public service, your dedication, and your heart.
I’d now like to introduce the NTSB staff. Next to Dr. Bower in the front row we have:
- Mr. Brice Banning, our Investigator-in-Charge.
- Mr. Chihoon Shin, Aerospace Engineer – Helicopters.
- Ms. Marie Moler, Mechanical Engineer – Vehicle Performance.
- Mr. Sean Payne, Branch Chief, Vehicle Recorders Division.
- And Mr. Michael Portman, Aerospace Engineer – Recorder Specialist.
In the middle row:
- Mr. Brian Soper, Lead Aviation Accident Investigator – Air Traffic Control.
- Ms. Sarah Lewis, Aviation Accident Investigator – Air Traffic Control.
- Dr. Katherine Wilson, Senior Human Performance Investigator.
- Dr. William Bramble, National Resource Specialist – Human Performance.
- Capt. Rocky Stone, Aviation Accident Investigator – Air Carrier Operations.
- And Capt. Van McKenny, Aerospace Engineer – Helicopters.
In the back row, we have:
- Mr. Brian Fuchs, Materials Engineer, who will operate the audio-visuals.
- Mr. Anthony Lam, Transportation Safety Specialist, who will operate the timer.
- Dr. Jana Price, Transportation Safety Specialist.
- Dr. Loren Groff, Chief Data Scientist.
- Mr. John Flynn, Aerospace Engineer – Systems.
- And Mr. Tim LeBaron, Director, Office of Aviation Safety.
Behind me is Mr. Daniel Baronofsky, who will provide legal support.
Now, let’s turn to the parties to the hearing. Thank you all for your cooperation with our investigation to date.
Federal regulations guide how we designate parties to an NTSB investigative hearing. They are:
“[T]hose persons and organizations whose participation in the hearing is deemed necessary in the public interest and whose special knowledge will contribute to the development of pertinent evidence.”
The parties to this hearing have been designated in accordance with these regulations and selected for their technical expertise in their respective fields. As a reminder, only the designated party spokesperson may question the witnesses on behalf of their respective organization.
Parties are essential in helping us develop the facts around an investigation. We appreciate your valuable time and look forward to working with you further as the investigation proceeds.
On behalf of the Board, I’d like to thank the many witnesses testifying at this hearing in support of aviation safety.
Witnesses will be questioned under oath; they will remain under oath until the conclusion of the hearing.
We ask that all witnesses be present for the entire hearing unless you have coordinated in advance with the Hearing Officer because you may be recalled later for further questioning.
The witnesses have been selected based on their ability to provide the best available information on safety issues pertinent to this investigation. The witness list was reviewed by the parties to the hearing last week, at the prehearing conference.
In the interest of time, we will not describe the witnesses’ credentials. Instead, we have “pre-qualified” each witness by documenting their qualifications in writing. You may review each witness’s biographical information in the public docket, which opened to the public this morning.
I’d now like to provide a general overview of the hearing. You may wish to refer to the hearing agenda for more details.
We will begin at 9:00 am each day and conclude around 7:00 pm today and tomorrow. We expect Friday’s proceedings to wrap up earlier but please be prepared to stay the full day. We want all questions to be answered. I will not rush the technical panel, the parties, or the Board of Inquiry.
We will break for lunch and as needed throughout; please remain flexible.
This hearing will address key issues relevant to our investigation, which are organized into “technical panels.”
The topics for each panel were finalized at a prehearing conference with the technical panel, parties to the hearing, and the Board of Inquiry on July 17.
There will be five panels across three days.
Today:
- Panel 1 will run until lunch; the topic is: Overview of the Accident Helicopter’s Air Data Systems and Altimeters.
- Following lunch, assuming we’re done with Panel 1, we will move to Panel 2 — Overview of the DCA Class B Airspace and Helicopter Routes. That panel will run until about 7 pm.
Tomorrow:
- We’ll begin with Panel 3: Training, Guidance, and Procedures Applicable to DCA Air Traffic Control, which will take us to the lunch break.
- Following that, assuming we’re done with Panel 3, we’ll move on to Panel 4: Overview of Collision Avoidance Technology, which will take us until about 7 pm.
The last panel of the hearing, Panel 5, will take place on Friday; it will cover Safety Data and Safety Management Systems at the Various Organizations. Again, please be prepared to stay the full day.
We will follow the same process for all panels:
- Dr. Bower will introduce the topics to be addressed, as well as the technical panel members and witnesses.
- I will swear-in the witnesses, who will be questioned in the following order:
o First, by the NTSB technical panel;
o Next, by the parties to the hearing;
o And finally, by the Board of Inquiry.
Parties will have designated time during each panel to question the witnesses. During party questions, I will recognize each organization one by one, round robin-style. Each party will keep their questions to five minutes or less; we have a timer to help you stay on track.
Given that there are six parties to the hearing, we should have time to accommodate two rounds of questions per party. That goes for all panels.
I will make all rulings on the admissibility of exhibits, appropriateness of questions, and pertinence of proffered testimony.
If a party spokesperson objects to any question asked during the hearing or wishes to discuss admissibility of an exhibit or the pertinence of proffered testimony, please raise your hand and wait to be recognized by me.
A word about conduct. This is not an adversarial hearing. The Board does not permit cross-examination of witnesses in the legal sense — nor do we permit questions related to fault, outside litigation, or legal liability in general. Such questions are not relevant to the fact-finding purposes of an NTSB investigative hearing or our statutory mission.
This doesn’t mean difficult questions won’t be asked; they will be … and should be … this is an investigation. We are here to improve safety. That is our sole focus.
I will now ask Dr. Bower to introduce the exhibits.
