Deadly Midair Collision Prompts RI Lawmaker To Call For Air Traffic Safety Oversight

WASHINGTON — The deadly midair collision of a Black Hawk helicopter and an American Airlines jet has prompted Rhode Island Rep. Gabe Amo to call for a review of the Air Traffic Safety Oversight Service.

Amo, D-Providence, was joined by Rep. Stephen Lynch, D-Mass., in requesting that the U.S. Government Accountability Office study relocating the Air Traffic Safety Oversight Service.

In a letter penned by Amo and Lynch to the Government Accountability Office, the congressmen referenced the January collision that killed 67 and stressed the importance of oversight.

"Recent events, such as the January 2025 fatal midair collision near Washington National Airport (DCA), underscore the importance of strong, independent oversight," Amo and Lynch said in the letter. "That incident, involving American Airlines Flight 5342 and a U.S. Army Black Hawk helicopter, tragically claimed 67 lives and brought to light potential safety oversight gaps."