Families of the victims in the deadly midair collision near Reagan National Airport are prioritizing further investigations into the crash.
The Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation has requested the inspectors general of the Army and the Department of Transportation to conduct parallel audits of aviation safety practices in the Washington, D.C. area following the incident.
This bipartisan initiative, led by Senators Ted Cruz and Maria Cantwell, received support from all Democratic members of the committee and most Republicans. The senators highlighted the January 29 accident, where an Army Blackhawk helicopter collided with American Airlines Flight 5342, as indicative of a troubling pattern of near misses between military and commercial aircraft near the airport.
They urged the inspectors general to assess whether improvements in Federal Aviation Administration (F.A.A.) and Army procedures, communication systems, or adherence to existing protocols could enhance aviation safety in the region.
The request comes ahead of a closed-door briefing scheduled for Wednesday, where representatives from the F.A.A., Army, and the National Transportation Safety Board will discuss the crash and other recent incidents involving military and commercial aircraft in the vicinity of Reagan National Airport and the Pentagon.
Families of Flight 5342, a group formed by relatives of the deceased passengers, view this bipartisan request as a crucial step toward restoring public trust following the tragedy. They have urged the inspectors general to allocate necessary resources for swift and thorough audits and to make findings public to the greatest extent possible.
The National Transportation Safety Board is currently investigating the crash and released a preliminary report in March, recommending a permanent ban on helicopter traffic along a military route known as Route 4 when Runway 33 is in use, along with an alternative route for military operations in such situations. However, internal investigations by the Army and F.A.A. have yet to commence.
The Department of Transportation’s inspector general typically publishes audit reports, while the Army's inspector general has more restricted practices regarding public disclosures.
The senators outlined specific targets for the inquiries. They instructed the Department of Transportation’s acting inspector general to evaluate the F.A.A.’s management of flight routes and airspace around Reagan National Airport, assess oversight of aviation safety gaps, analyze data from prior near misses, and investigate the appropriateness of exemptions from tracking gear requirements, which were disabled before the collision.
Additionally, the letter requests a review of the effectiveness of the F.A.A.’s D.C. Helicopter Working Group, following concerns raised by N.T.S.B. chairwoman Jennifer Homendy about the group's transparency and effectiveness.
The Army’s inspector general has been tasked with examining coordination with the F.A.A. during operations in the Washington area, including pilot training, tracking technology usage, and maintenance protocols for Blackhawk helicopters. The senators also requested scrutiny of the Army’s review system for incidents involving close encounters between military and commercial aircraft to prevent future occurrences.
In a related news release, committee leaders noted that the Army had not yet provided a requested memo from August 2024 concerning policies on tracking system usage during missions in the Washington area, which was sought in late March.