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Air traffic management employees at Ronald Reagan National Airport (DCA) are often forced to “make it work” with limited resources, federal aviation administration officials said on the second day of the National Transportation Safety Board hearing in the fatal January crash.
67 people were killed after an Army Black Hawk helicopter collided with an American Airlines regional jet on January 29th over the Potomac River near Washington. It was the most fatal US aviation accident in decades.
The NTSB has begun investigating the tragedy. This includes a three-day investigative hearing held this week. Here are some major takeaways.
Takeout #1: FAA is said to have known the ongoing risks at DCA
Preliminary findings released shortly after the accident showed that the FAA was aware of ongoing risks at airports, particularly military aircraft, but the NTSB allegedly did not take action before crash.
Other issues with the DCA include airspace congestion and a shortage of air traffic controllers.
Following the tragedy, the FAA restricted the use of military helicopters along Route 1, a helicopter route on the Potomac River that passed in front of DCA’s runway 33.
Part of the Wednesday and Thursday hearings have focused in part on the role the Army and the FAA played on the night of the crash, with NTSB Chairman Jennifer Homendi telling FAA officials that he failed to act on warnings from air traffic control staff who previously proposed changes to flight paths to avoid the threat of a crash.
“There were signs that all the signs were a safety risk, and the tower was telling you,” the chairman said.
In a statement posted to X, Senate Speaker D-Washington, Chairman Maria Cantwell, who is the leader in the investigation into the case, said:
“What could have been the issue that could not be resolved before this tragedy occurred because FAA surveillance is so flawed?”
Takeout #2: “The Mentality that Makes It Work”
NTSB investigator Brian Soper asked the air traffic controller if “the mentality to make it work has been normalized at DCA airport.”
National Airport Operations Manager Clark Allen said he believes it has.
“There are limited real estate where the airports and planes are located. It’s very easy to back up,” Allen testified. “So, with a massive, high-multiple airport with lots of real estate, we have to keep things moving to provide safe and efficient services.”
Brian Lehman, the FAA’s frontline manager, said his tower now deals with a number of issues the DCA has, and performs “non-standard air traffic operations” every day.
“We take pride in that,” Lehman said. “But at some point, I say that it’s too much.”
Investigators also forced staff sales to be carried out. Allen said Wednesday that DCA Control Tower had around 10 air traffic observers since early 2013.
“Air traffic managers are responsible for considering all types of changes to routes, all types of changes, revisions, and annual route assessments,” Homedy replied. “You had 10 air traffic managers in a fairly small amount of time. You had five in the last five years and three in the last two years. How do you know that if you keep switching between air traffic managers?”
The victim’s family reacts
Many of the victims of the plane crash were children and their parents who returned from figure skating competitions in Wichita, Kansas.
Speaking to ABC affiliate WJLA, Aisha Duggins said her sister, Kia Duggins, had died in a crash.
Contribution: Nathan Diller, USA Today
Michelle Del Rey is a trending news reporter for USA Today. Contact her at mdelrey@usatoday.com.
