Particle.news
Download on the App Store
5 ARTICLES
·
2d ago

DOT Inspector General Opens Audit of FAA Airspace Controls After D.C. Midair Crash

The audit examines FAA airspace design alongside military ADS-B Out exemptions to reveal causes of persistent safety gaps near Reagan National.

Image
A crane retrieves part of the wreckage from the Potomac River, in the aftermath of the collision of American Eagle flight 5342 and a Black Hawk helicopter that crashed into the river, by the Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, in Arlington, Virginia, U.S., February 4, 2025. REUTERS/Eduardo Munoz/File Photo
Image

Overview

  • On August 8, the DOT Office of Inspector General initiated a formal audit of the FAA’s management of air traffic near Washington, D.C., targeting airspace design and the process for military ADS-B Out exemptions.
  • The review follows the January 29 collision between an Army Black Hawk and a regional jet at Reagan National that killed 67 people and exposed over 15,000 separation incidents since 2021.
  • Under current policy, military and government helicopters can opt out of the FAA’s ADS-B Out requirement by labeling flights as “sensitive,” a loophole critics say reduces controller visibility.
  • After a May 1 close call that forced two civilian planes to abort landings, the FAA continues to bar Army helicopter operations near the Pentagon despite a July agreement with the Army.
  • Senators Ted Cruz and Maria Cantwell have introduced legislation to strip training flights of ADS-B exemptions and mandate universal ADS-B In installation within five years.