During the hearings, the NTSB was told that the Army helicopter never heard the command from the air traffic controller to "pass behind the CRJ" as the transmission was stepped on. It was also revealed that the plane's pilots were not warned by the controller that there was a helicopter nearby or cleared to fly near the helicopter.

The head of the National Transportation Safety Board sharply criticized U.S. officials for failing to act before the January 29 collision of a U.S. Army helicopter with an American Airlines regional jet in Washington that killed 67 people.