Senators to question top Army official on National Airport crash
Two Republican senators are set to question a top U.S. Army official and examine the preliminary findings of the National Transportation Safety Board’s (NTSB) report into the deadly place crash in January near Reagan Washington National Airport.
Sens. Jerry Moran (R-Kan.), who leads the aviation subcommittee, and Senate Commerce Committee Chair Ted Cruz (R-Texas) will hold a March 27 hearing to look into the findings of the NTSB’s 20-page preliminary report into the late January air collision between an American Airlines plane and an Army Black Hawk helicopter that killed all 67 people involved.
“The NTSB’s preliminary report lays the foundation for understanding what circumstances led to the deadly accident over the Potomac that claimed 67 lives,” Moran said in a statement.
He said he appreciates the NTSB, Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), Department of Defense "and other parties collaborating on this investigation" and expects their continued cooperation as he leads a subcommittee hearing "to review the report and work to determine policy changes that may be necessary to prevent future tragedies."
The lawmakers invited three witnesses for the late March subcommittee hearing: FAA Administrator Chris Rocheleau, NTSB Chair Jennifer Homendy and Army Aviation Director Brig. Gen. Matthew Braman.
An Army spokesperson told The Hill that Braman is “aware and will likely participate.”
When reached for comment, the FAA directed The Hill to the subcommittee.
The hearing, which was announced Monday, came hours after the NTSB’s report was unveiled.
The safety board detailed two “urgent” safety recommendations after finding thousands of near misses between planes and helicopters flying around National Airport.
The NTSB recommended the FAA ban certain helicopter routes around the airport permanently. Homendy said the distance between where the planes land and helicopters operate at some runaways at National Airport are “insufficient” and “an intolerable risk to aviation safety.”
The FAA will implement certain restrictions on helicopter routes near the airport and the information will be relayed to pilots on Wednesday, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy told reporters Tuesday.
“At best, we’re in a situation where we’re threading the needle allowing helicopters to fly down the same airspace as landing aircraft,” Duffy said. “And why this information wasn’t studied and known before Jan. 29 is an important question.”
Cruz said the Jan. 29 midair collision is a “tragedy that has left the families of 67 souls grieving, and the investigation into the causes of this accident will continue until we know precisely what went wrong on the evening of Jan. 29.”
“With complete jurisdiction over the national airspace, the Commerce Committee has an obligation to support those families and to do everything in Congress’s power to keep the flying public safe,” the Texas senator said.
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