WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Jerry Moran — the chairman of the Commerce Subcommittee on Aviation, Space, and Innovation released the following statement after the conclusion of the National Transportation Safety Board’s three-day investigative hearing into the January 29 midair collision between American Airlines flight 5342 and an Army Blackhawk helicopter.
“Six months after the tragic crash near DCA, the NTSB laid out a series of failures it has uncovered so far in its investigation of the tragedy that claimed 67 lives, including Kansans. While there is no single factor that led to the crash on January 29, it is alarming that FAA failed to act on years of data and near misses indicating serious problems with the design of the mixed airspace around DCA. The FAA blamed their inaction on bureaucracy but did not take action to try and alleviate the bureaucratic roadblocks within the agency. That is no excuse.
“The NTSB uncovered long-term staffing issues at the control tower that were compounded by a culture of distrust among DCA air traffic controllers and a toleration for unacceptable risks; found inaccurate altitude readings on the helicopter; and discovered the ADS-B Out technology was not transmitting on the Blackhawk likely due to faulty equipment that the Army failed to identify and has now been found to be an issue on numerous other Army helicopters as well.
“I commend Chair Homendy on her thorough investigation into this crash and her dedication in bringing to light the failures in our airspace. Despite numerous warnings signs of serious problems over the last several years, little was done to try and correct them, and these failures by the FAA, the Army and air traffic control cost 67 lives. I know the last few days have been painful for the families of the victims, and I assure them that Congress will not let these failures go unanswered. We cannot undo the tragic loss of life, but we can work to make certain it never happens again.”
Congressional Action since January 29:
- Feb. 5: Sen. Moran and Sen. Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.) call on the FAA to restrict non-essential helicopter operations near DCA.
- March 13: Sen. Moran and Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) press the Army to answer questions regarding the Army’s role in the midair collision on January 29th.
- March 27: The Senate Commerce Subcommittee on Aviation holds a hearing on the January 29 midair collision.
- May 14: Sen. Moran questions FAA officials on the lack of response on near-miss data aggregated in their databases during a Commerce hearing.
- May 16: Sen. Moran introduces legislation to require all aircraft in high-volume airspace to use ADS-B technology.
- May 16: Sen. Moran questions Department of Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy during a hearing on current restrictions around DCA.
- June 10: Senators call for audits into the Department of Transportation and the Army’s response to the midair collision.
- June 11: Sen. Moran leads a briefing with NTSB, FAA and Army on additional near collisions that occurred between an Army helicopter and two commercial aircraft in April after the crash.
- June 12: Sen. Moran questions Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on the use of ADS-B technology in military aircraft.
- July 29: Sen. Moran joins his colleagues in introducing the ROTOR Act to require the use of location technology in high-volume airspace and initiate a review of flight routes near DC and an Inspector General’s audit of the Army’s aviation practices.