FAA-licensed commercial pilot Anthony Roman provides professional analysis of the Washington D.C. plane crash on ‘Varney & Co.’
- The Federal Aviation Administration plans to reduce flight arrivals at Washington Reagan National Airport to address safety concerns after a deadly collision between a military helicopter and a passenger jet, according to an email seen by Reuters.
- The FAA told airlines late Wednesday that the reduction from a maximum rate of 28 to 26 arrivals per hour would reduce risk but also increase average delays from 40 minutes to 50 minutes.
- The NTSB and FAA are briefing members of the Senate Commerce Committee on Thursday on the investigation into the crash.
The Federal Aviation Administration plans to announce it is reducing flight arrivals at Washington Reagan National Airport to address safety concerns after a deadly collision between a helicopter and an American Airlines AAL.O regional jet killed 67 people, according to an email seen by Reuters.
The FAA told airlines late Wednesday that the reduction from a maximum rate of 28 to 26 arrivals per hour would reduce risk but also increase average delays from 40 minutes to 50 minutes. The email said investigators from the FAA and National Transportation Safety Board “have expressed concern for our tower personnel on duty, who have an increased level of stress while also having a front row view of the accident recovery.”
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The email added that reducing the rate from 28 to 26 “will reduce risk and allow a little space for extra coordination.” It is unclear if the reduction will force airlines to cancel some flights.
The NTSB and FAA are briefing members of the Senate Commerce Committee on Thursday on the investigation. An FAA spokesperson did not immediately comment on how long the restrictions would be in place, but noted it is slowing traffic into and out of Reagan due to weather conditions and recovery efforts in the area.
A plane flies overhead as people attend a candlelight vigil for the victims of the collision between an American Airlines regional jet and a Black Hawk helicopter that crashed into the Potomac River near Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, in (Reuters/Eduardo Munoz/File Photo / Reuters)
In the aftermath of the crash, the FAA has imposed significant restrictions on helicopter flights around Reagan National until at least late February and two of the lesser-used runways remain closed. When police, medical or presidential transportation helicopters must use the airspace, civilian planes are not allowed to be in the same area, according to an FAA advisory.
U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said on Wednesday he is reconsidering rules that allowed air traffic control supervisors to reduce staffing before the fatal collision.
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Duffy noted that before the crash, two air traffic control positions were consolidated for helicopters and aircraft.
“We’re going to pull that authority back to make sure that we have the right policies in place inside our towers to make sure when you fly you’re safe,” Duffy said.
Duffy also plans to announce in the coming days steps to surge more air traffic control training and applicants. The FAA is about 3,000 controllers short of staffing levels and nearly all control towers have staffing issues.
