The Role of Night Vision Goggles in the Black Hawk–CRJ700 Midair Collision

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has revealed that the pilots of the Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter involved in the recent midair collision with a Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) RJ Aviation (Bombardier) CRJ700 American Airlines Flight 5342 were likely wearing night vision goggles (NVGs) at the time of the midair accident.

NTSB Findings on the Black Hawk Flight

NTSB Chairman Jennifer Homendy announced on Thursday, February 6, 2025, that the purpose of the Black Hawk flight was to conduct an NVG check ride. Preliminary data from the helicopter’s cockpit voice recorder (CVR) indicated that the Black Hawk crew was likely wearing NVGs during the flight.

How Night Vision Goggles Work

NVGs are designed to intensify ambient light and convert near-infrared light into visible light, allowing pilots to see in near-total darkness. However, while NVGs can effectively turn night into day, they also come with significant limitations that can affect pilot situational awareness.

Limitations of NVGs in Aviation

• Restricted Field of View (FOV): Pilots using NVGs view the world through narrow image intensifiers, eliminating peripheral vision. This requires an aggressive scanning technique to ensure nothing outside the NVG’s FOV is missed.
  
• Light Sensitivity and “Washout”: NVGs are highly sensitive to bright lights and can experience halo-effect, blooming, or washout when exposed to intense white or red light. This automatic light-filtering can lead to a partial or total loss of vision, particularly in urban areas with excessive artificial lighting.
  
• Monochrome Vision: While the human eye sees in color, NVGs display images in varying shades of green. This can lead to misinterpretations of standard aircraft navigation lights, such as red, green, and white lights all appearing the same shade.
  
• Distance and Depth Perception Issues: NVGs cause all white and red lights to appear at the same intensity, regardless of distance. This can result in misjudging the proximity of other aircraft, where a landing light from one mile away may seem just as close as one five miles away. Additionally, green and blue lights appear dimmer, leading to further misinterpretation of an aircraft’s actual position and distance.

Did NVG Limitations Play a Role in the Collision?

At this stage, it is unclear whether NVG limitations contributed to the midair collision. However, the use of NVGs requires extensive training, proficiency, and experience to correctly interpret visual cues and mitigate potential risks.

As the NTSB continues its investigation, the aviation industry may take this tragic event as an opportunity to review NVG training protocols and improve safety measures for both military and civilian pilots operating in congested airspace.

Stay tuned for updates as more details emerge from the investigation.

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