By David Shepardson
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The top Democrat on the Senate Commerce Committee said Thursday the United States needs to reconsider the significant military helicopter flights near one of the most congested U.S. airports after a midair collision in Washington killed 67 people.
“The big question I have is why do you have a military training flight so close to the route that people are supposed to land… Why is that corridor right on top of the (civilian) flight corridor?,” said Senator Maria Cantwell in an interview.
A 2021 report said there are about 11,000 military helicopter flights annually within 30 miles of Reagan National.
Cantwell, an author of aviation safety reform laws, questioned the safety of military and commercial flights separated by as little as 350 feet (107 m). “I can’t imagine you can have visual separation that close… That makes no sense.”
In the deadliest U.S. air disaster in more than 20 years, a U.S. Army helicopter and an American Airlines passenger jet collided on Wednesday night near Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, with both aircraft plunging into the Potomac River.
The cause of the crash is under investigation. The airport is located in Arlington, Virginia, across the river from Washington.
Cantwell also questioned why the Federal Aviation Administration since 2018 has allowed military flights to fly with their installed ADS-B equipment off.
Automatic Dependent Surveillance–Broadcast is an advanced surveillance technology to track aircraft location.
Cantwell wants more information on the agreements between the FAA and the Pentagon that allow these flights.
“I do think the military was right to pause these flights now,” Cantwell said. “What kind of arrangements are there as they fly into DC today?”
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said the helicopter involved in the crash had a crew of three soldiers on a “continuity of government” training flight.
“It was a fairly experienced crew and it was doing a required annual night evaluation,” Hegseth said.
He said there appeared to have been an elevation issue with the Black Hawk, and Army investigators were looking into the matter.
The military said the maximum altitude for Route 4 is 200 feet (61 meters) but it may have been flying higher. The collision occurred at an altitude of around 300 feet, according to flight tracking website FlightRadar24.
Army secretary nominee Dan Driscoll said Thursday the military should rethink training in congested areas.
“I think we might need to look at where is an appropriate time to take training risk, and it may not be near an airport like Reagan,” Driscoll added.
Airspace is frequently crowded in the U.S. capital region, home to three commercial airports and several major military facilities, and officials have raised concerns about busy runways at Reagan National Airport. Several near-miss incidents at the airport have sparked alarm, including a near-collision in May 2024.
Republican Senator Josh Hawley questioned why military helicopter flight routes overlay commercial routes around Washington Reagan.
“Is that really a good idea?” Hawley told Fox News Thursday. “Do we really want all of that crowded airspace jammed in there?”
(Reporting by David Shepardson; Editing by Stephen Coates)
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