The top Democrat on the Senate commerce committee said on Thursday the US needs to reconsider the significant military helicopter flights near one of the most congested US airports after a midair collision in Washington killed 67 people.
“The big question I have is why do you have a military training flight so close to the route where people are supposed to land? Why is that corridor right on top of the civilian flight corridor?,” senator Maria Cantwell said in an interview.
A 2021 report said there are about 11,000 military helicopter flights annually within 48km of Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport.
Cantwell, an author of aviation safety reform laws, questioned the safety of military and commercial flights separated by as little as 107m.
“I can't imagine you can have visual separation that close. That makes no sense.”
In the deadliest US air disaster in more than 20 years, a US army helicopter and an American Airlines passenger jet collided on Wednesday night near Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, with both aircraft plunging into the Potomac River.
The cause of the crash is under investigation. The airport is located in Arlington, Virginia, across the river from Washington.
Cantwell also questioned why the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) since 2018 has allowed military flights to fly with their installed ADS-B equipment off.
Automatic dependent surveillance broadcast is an advanced surveillance technology to track aircraft location.
Cantwell wants more information on the agreements between the FAA and the Pentagon that allow the flights.
“I do think the military was right to pause the flights,” Cantwell said.
“What kind of arrangements are there as they fly into DC today?”
Senator questions military helicopter flights near civilian airplanes in DC
Image: REUTERS/Evelyn Hockstein
The top Democrat on the Senate commerce committee said on Thursday the US needs to reconsider the significant military helicopter flights near one of the most congested US airports after a midair collision in Washington killed 67 people.
“The big question I have is why do you have a military training flight so close to the route where people are supposed to land? Why is that corridor right on top of the civilian flight corridor?,” senator Maria Cantwell said in an interview.
A 2021 report said there are about 11,000 military helicopter flights annually within 48km of Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport.
Cantwell, an author of aviation safety reform laws, questioned the safety of military and commercial flights separated by as little as 107m.
“I can't imagine you can have visual separation that close. That makes no sense.”
In the deadliest US air disaster in more than 20 years, a US army helicopter and an American Airlines passenger jet collided on Wednesday night near Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, with both aircraft plunging into the Potomac River.
The cause of the crash is under investigation. The airport is located in Arlington, Virginia, across the river from Washington.
Cantwell also questioned why the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) since 2018 has allowed military flights to fly with their installed ADS-B equipment off.
Automatic dependent surveillance broadcast is an advanced surveillance technology to track aircraft location.
Cantwell wants more information on the agreements between the FAA and the Pentagon that allow the flights.
“I do think the military was right to pause the flights,” Cantwell said.
“What kind of arrangements are there as they fly into DC today?”
18 bodies recovered after Washington plane crash
Defence secretary Pete Hegseth said the helicopter involved in the crash had a crew of three soldiers on a “continuity of government” training flight.
“It was a fairly experienced crew and it was doing a required annual night evaluation,” Hegseth said.
He said there appeared to have been an elevation issue with the Black Hawk, and army investigators were looking into the matter.
The military said the maximum altitude for route 61m, but it may have been flying higher. The collision occurred at an altitude of about 91m, according to flight tracking website FlightRadar24.
Army secretary nominee Dan Driscoll said on Thursday the military should rethink training in congested areas.
“I think we might need to look at where is an appropriate time to take training risk, and it may not be near an airport like Reagan,” Driscoll said.
Airspace is frequently crowded in the US capital region, home to three commercial airports and several major military facilities, and officials have raised concerns about busy runways at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport. Several near-miss incidents at the airport have sparked alarm, including a near-collision in May 2024.
Republican senator Josh Hawley questioned why military helicopter flight routes overlay commercial routes around Washington Reagan.
“Is that really a good idea?” Hawley told Fox News on Thursday.
“Do we want all that crowded airspace jammed in there?”
Reuters
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American Airlines jet, army helicopter collide, crash into Washington's Potomac River
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