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FAA Unveils Permanent Changes After Deadly DC Midair Collision
The FAA has made permanent changes following the January 29 midair collision at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport that left 67 dead.
WASHINGTON, DC — The Federal Aviation Administration has embraced new safety measures in the wake of a deadly crash that left 67 people dead near Reagan National Airport earlier this year.
A Black Hawk Army helicopter collided with an American Airlines, sparking discussion on safety risks associated with the airport's busy flight traffic.
To that end, on Thursday, the FAA published updated helicopter route charts as part of its regular 52-day update cycle, including permanent changes following the January 29 midair collision at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA).
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The changes also include modifications to helicopter zones at Washington Dulles International Airport and Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport.
The updated charts reflect the following safety improvements at DCA, including two helicopter routes that will remain restricted to priority aircraft, including medical and law enforcement, only —unless specifically authorized by air traffic control, a change made immediately following the DCA midair collision.
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In addition, the FAA reduced the boundaries and the size of three helicopter zones, established procedures to eliminate helicopter and fixed-wing mixed traffic near the airport; and updated charts to make instructions clearer for pilots.
The FAA also permanently closed Route 4 between Hains Point and the Wilson Bridge ; discontinued take offs from the Pentagon until the FAA and Department of Defense has updated procedures and fixed technical issues at the Pentagon Heliport ; eliminated the use of visual separation within five miles of the airport; published modifications to helicopter zones and routes, moving them farther away from flight paths at the airport ; and increased support, oversight and staffing at DCA.
The investigation into the crash is ongoing, with the National Transportation Safety Board leading the effort.
Last month, the family of one of the 67 people killed in the crash filed a lawsuit against the U.S. government and the airlines involved, accusing them of not heeding warnings after more than 30 documented near misses in the area.
The lawsuit was filed in federal court on behalf of the widow and three children of Casey Crafton of Connecticut, who was killed in the mid-air collision.
"Nearly 8 months ago, our lives were shattered in a moment, and our grief has been unimaginable," Crafton's brother, David Crafton, said as he read from a prepared statement. "Casey was betrayed by the system he trusted. We are taking legal action because this is the only way to ensure this never happens again."
Other families are expected to join this first lawsuit that seeks to hold the Federal Aviation Administration, the U.S. Army, American Airlines and its regional partner, PSA Airlines, accountable for the deadliest U.S. plane crash since 2001. PSA Airlines operated Flight 5342 that crashed on Jan. 29.
The lawsuit says the airlines and government agencies “utterly failed in their responsibilities to the traveling public.”
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- Military Chopper Traffic Over DCA Was A Worry Leading Up To Fatal Midair Crash.
The plane was about to land at Reagan Airport when the crash occurred. The collision remains under investigation by the National Transportation Safety Board.
The NTSB has already highlighted a long list of things that likely contributed to the crash, although the final report identifying the cause won't be ready until next year.
The Black Hawk helicopter was flying well above the 200-foot limit, but even if it had been at the correct altitude, the route it was flying provided just 75 feet of separation between helicopters and planes landing on Reagan Airport's secondary runway. The flight data recorder showed the helicopter was actually flying 80 feet to 100 feet higher than the altimeter showed before the two aircraft collided.
The NTSB has also said the FAA failed to recognize an alarming pattern of near misses at the busy airport in the years before the crash and ignored concerns about helicopter traffic around the airport.
Investigators also said that overworked controllers tried to squeeze as many planes as possible into the landing pattern with minimal separation. If any of those things — or several other factors — had been different that night, the collision might have been avoided, officials said.
“There is clear evidence that there were dozens of near-misses and thousands of reports of congestion between commercial aircraft and military aircraft at Reagan National that were being ignored by the airlines,” said lawyer Bob Clifford, who is representing the families of the victims.
According to an Associated Press report, 28 members of the figure skating community were among the dozens killed when an Army helicopter collided with an American Airlines flight and crashed into the Potomac River.
Skaters from the Ashburn Ice House and Medstar Capitals Iceplex in Arlington were among those who died in the crash. Many aboard the plane had just been to a development camp after the U.S. Figure Skating Championships in Wichita, Kansas.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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