Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport. (Photo by Tim Brown/Getty Images)
After an Army helicopter collided with a commercial airplane in January near Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, killing dozens, federal lawmakers including U.S. Rep. Suhas Subramanyam, D-Loudoun, want to know what measures the U.S. military is taking to make certain disasters don’t occur again.
The crash killed 67 people, including the pilots, crew members, and passengers, some of whom were from Virginia.
Subramanyam, a member of the subcommittee on Military and Foreign Affairs and U.S. Rep. William Timmons, R-SC, along with other colleagues, wrote a letter seeking answers from Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth for the tightly packed airspace shared by commercial, military and government flights.
“Washington, D.C.’s airspace is among the most complex and heavily regulated in the nation. DCA operates within the tightly controlled Flight Restricted Zone, making it one of the busiest and most sensitive airspaces in the country,” wrote the lawmakers. “DoD plays a critical role in managing and securing this airspace, with military aircraft frequently conducting operations in and around the National Capital Region.”
Over the years, the federal government has tightened airspace restrictions around Washington to prevent aircraft from approaching high-risk areas like the Capitol, National Mall and White House.
However, Reagan airport’s approach corridor continues to be one of the busiest and most complex in the country, requiring pilots to perform a challenging maneuver before landing.
According to the Federal Aviation Administration, 30 near-collisions have occurred midair near the airport since 1987, with a third of the incidents involving military aircraft and seven involving helicopters.
“As authorities continue to assess the circumstances of the incident, it will be critical to identify any contributing factors and ensure mitigation measures are implemented to enhance future airspace safety,” the lawmakers wrote.
Lawmakers have requested a briefing by April 1.
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