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2mo ago

Congress Investigates Deadly Potomac River Midair Collision

Lawmakers probe military airspace practices and FAA oversight after crash near Reagan National Airport kills 67.

A crane retrieves part of the helicopter from the Potomac River, in the aftermath of the collision of American Eagle flight 5342 and a Black Hawk helicopter that crashed into the river, by the Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, in Arlington, Virginia, U.S., February 6, 2025. REUTERS/Eduardo Munoz/File Photo
FILE - A piece of wreckage is lifted from the water onto a salvage vessel near the site in the Potomac River of a mid-air collision between an American Airlines jet and a Black Hawk helicopter, at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, Feb. 4, 2025, in Arlington, Va. (AP Photo/Ben Curtis, file)
In front of a graphic of a recommendation from the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy speaks during a news conference following up on the issuance of the NTSB preliminary report on the mid-air collision near Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, Tuesday, March 11, 2025, at the Department of Transportation in Washington. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy speaks during a news conference following up on the issuance of the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) preliminary report on the mid-air collision near Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, Tuesday, March 11, 2025, at the Department of Transportation in Washington. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)

Overview

  • The January 29 collision involved an Army Black Hawk helicopter and an American Airlines regional jet, resulting in 67 fatalities.
  • The House Oversight Subcommittee on Military and Foreign Affairs is investigating military airspace usage and safety protocols in the Washington, D.C. region.
  • The National Transportation Safety Board revealed that the helicopter exceeded altitude limits and lacked a key safety system, ADS-B, at the time of the crash.
  • Lawmakers and safety experts have criticized the FAA and military for failing to address long-standing airspace congestion and near-miss incidents at Reagan National Airport.
  • The FAA has implemented temporary restrictions on helicopter routes near the airport, with calls for permanent safety measures to prevent future accidents.