Latest news with #ADS-BOut
Epoch Times
09-08-2025
- Epoch Times
Inspector General to Probe FAA Oversight of Washington Airspace After Deadly Midair Collision
A federal agency said on Aug. 8 that it will open an investigation into the Federal Aviation Administration's (FAA) oversight of the airspace around Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport after a deadly midair collision between an Army helicopter and a commercial jet that killed 67 people earlier this year. The announcement from the Department of Transportation's (DOT) Office of Inspector General (OIG) comes one week after the National Transportation Safety Board's (NTSB) three-day 'fact-finding' hearing into the crash, which probed the FAA's management of Washington's airspace, its staffing at the airport's control tower on Jan. 29 when the accident occurred, and exemptions given to the Army to allow its helicopters at the time to operate without a key location transmitting technology—ADS-B Out.
Mint
09-08-2025
- Business
- Mint
Watchdog Probes FAA's Oversight of Skies Near Reagan Airport
(Bloomberg) -- A US government watchdog has launched an audit of the Federal Aviation Administration's oversight of the congested airspace around Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, after January's deadly midair collision. The Transportation Department's Office of Inspector General's Friday announcement comes a week after an investigative hearing on the midair collision between a US Army Black Hawk helicopter and American Airlines Group Inc. regional jet that killed 67 people. During the hearing, members of the National Transportation Safety Board, an independent government agency, grilled FAA officials on how they could have missed the problems that existed in the airspace around Reagan airport. After the accident, the NTSB identified more than 15,000 incidents between October 2021 and December 2024 where commercial planes and helicopters came within an unsafe distance. FAA leaders, including the regulator's Deputy Administrator Chris Rocheleau, have acknowledged that risks were missed and the agency needs to do better going forward. 'The inspector general will have the FAA's full support,' the agency said in a statement Friday. 'There must never be another tragedy like the one on January 29 at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport.' Since the midair collision, the FAA has restricted helicopter flights near the airport and curtailed exemptions that allow aircraft to fly without broadcasting their location using a technology known as ADS-B Out. The Army helicopter involved in the crash was equipped with but wasn't transmitting data via ADS-B Out on the night of the crash. An Army official said during last week's hearing that there was a technical issue preventing the Black Hawk's ADS-B Out from functioning properly, but the helicopter pilots also weren't required to have it turned on under the policies at that time. The Office of Inspector General said that as part of its audit, it's assessing the FAA's management of the airspace around Reagan airport, as well as policies and procedures for overseeing ADS-B Out exemptions. The watchdog said it plans to begin its review this month. (Adds FAA's statement in sixth paragraph.) More stories like this are available on
The Hill
30-07-2025
- Politics
- The Hill
NTSB opens hearings on deadly Washington collision between a helicopter and passenger plane
Three days of investigative hearings on the deadly midair collision over Washington in January began Wednesday, aiming to reveal new insights into what caused the crash between a passenger plane and an Army helicopter that killed 67 people. The National Transportation Safety Board opened the hearings in Washington, with plans to question witnesses and investigators about how the actions of the Federal Aviation Administration and its air traffic controllers and the Army may have contributed to the nation's deadliest plane crash since November 2001. It's likely too early for the board to identify the cause of the crash. The American Airlines plane from Wichita, Kansas, collided with a Black Hawk helicopter while coming into land at Ronald Reagan National Airport and was the first in a string of crashes and near misses this year that have alarmed officials and the traveling public, despite statistics that still show flying remains the safest form of transportation. Investigations have already shown the FAA failed to recognize a troubling history of 85 near misses around Reagan airport in the years before the collision, and that the Army's helicopters routinely flew around the nation's capitol with a key piece of locating equipment, known as ADS-B Out, turned off. Aviation attorney Bob Clifford, who is working to file one of the first lawsuits against the government next month, said he hopes NTSB will look beyond the immediate factors that caused this crash to highlight the bigger ongoing concerns in the crowded Washington airspace. 'In this particular instance, there's a much broader picture. And that is the known problems that were being ignored about an unsafe environment for the commercial aircraft to be navigating with the military aviation helicopters in the area,' Clifford said. Even though the final NTSB report won't be released until sometime next year, U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz isn't waiting to propose changes. He introduced legislation Tuesday that would require all aircraft operators to use both forms of ADS-B, or Automatic Dependent Surveillance Broadcast, the technology to broadcast aircraft location data to other planes and air traffic controllers. Most aircraft today are equipped with ADS-B Out equipment but the airlines would have to add the more comprehensive ADS-B In technology to their planes. 'There cannot be a double standard in aviation safety,' Cruz said. 'We should not tolerate special exceptions for military training flights, operating in congested air space.' The legislation would revoke an exemption on ADS-B transmission requests for Department of Defense aircrafts. It also would require the FAA to evaluate helicopter routes near airports and require the Army Inspector General to review the Army's aviation safety practices. NTSB Chairwoman Jennifer Homendy said her agency has been recommending that move for decades after several other crashes. 'In 2008, we sent a letter to FAA stating the board believes that the equipage of aircraft with ADS-B In capability will provide — and I want to stress this — an immediate and substantial contribution to safety, especially during operations in and around airports,' she said. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said that while he'd like to discuss 'a few tweaks,' the legislation is 'the right approach.' He also suggested that the previous administration 'was asleep at the wheel' amid dozens of near-misses in the airspace around Washington's airspace. 'In the past, people became complacent — leaders became complacent,' Duffy said. Homendy said the hearings over the next few days will be a 'fact-finding proceeding.' In addition, the NTSB will also post thousands of pages of evidence from the crash investigation online Wednesday morning. FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford said that he expects 'we're going to have some very uncomfortable conversations over the next two and a half days' but that 'they need to be had in the clear light of day – and simply put the best interest of the traveling public ahead of any of our personal interests, perhaps.' The hearings in Washington will involve NTSB board members, investigators and witnesses for organizations involved in the crash. Panels will focus on military helicopter routes in the Washington area, collision avoidance technology and training for air traffic controllers at Ronald Reagan National Airport, among other subjects. Federal officials have also raised concerns over the nation's outdated and understaffed air traffic control system. During January's mid-air crash above Washington, one controller was handing both commercial airline and helicopter traffic at the busy airport. Duffy has announced a multi-billion-dollar plan to overhaul the system controllers use that relies on old technology like floppy disks.
30-07-2025
- Politics
NTSB launches hearings on deadly Washington collision between a helicopter and passenger plane
Three days of investigative hearings on the deadly midair collision over Washington in January begin Wednesday and aim to reveal new insights into what caused the crash between a passenger plane and an Army helicopter that killed 67 people. The National Transportation Safety Board will question witnesses and investigators about how the actions of the Federal Aviation Administration and its air traffic controllers and the Army may have contributed to the nation's deadliest plane crash since November 2001. It's likely too early for the board to identify the cause of the crash. The American Airlines plane from Wichita, Kansas collided with a Black Hawk helicopter while coming into land at Ronald Reagan National Airport and was the first in a string of crashes and near misses this year that have alarmed officials and the travelling public, despite statistics that still show flying remains the safest form of transportation. Investigations have already shown the FAA failed to recognize a troubling history of 85 near misses around Reagan airport in the years before the collision, and that the Army's helicopters routinely flew around the nation's capitol with a key piece of locating equipment, known as ADS-B Out, turned off. Aviation attorney Bob Clifford, who is working to file one of the first lawsuits against the government next month, said he hopes NTSB will look beyond the immediate factors that caused this crash to highlight the bigger ongoing concerns in the crowded Washington airspace. 'In this particular instance, there's a much broader picture. And that is the known problems that were being ignored about an unsafe environment for the commercial aircraft to be navigating with the military aviation helicopters in the area,' Clifford said. Even though the final NTSB report won't be released until sometime next year, U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz isn't waiting to propose changes. He introduced legislation Tuesday that would require all aircraft operators to use both forms of ADS-B, or Automatic Dependent Surveillance Broadcast, the technology to broadcast aircraft location data to other planes and air traffic controllers. Most aircraft today are equipped with ADS-B Out equipment but the airlines would have to add the more comprehensive ADS-B In technology to their planes. 'There cannot be a double standard in aviation safety,' Cruz said. 'We should not tolerate special exceptions for military training flights, operating in congested air space.' The legislation would revoke an exemption on ADS-B transmission requests for Department of Defense aircrafts. It also would require the FAA to evaluate helicopter routes near airports and require the Army Inspector General to review the Army's aviation safety practices. NTSB Chairwoman Jennifer Homendy said her agency has been recommending that move for decades after several other crashes. 'In 2008, we sent a letter to FAA stating the board believes that the equipage of aircraft with ADS-B In capability will provide — and I want to stress this — an immediate and substantial contribution to safety, especially during operations in and around airports,' she said. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said that while he'd like to discuss 'a few tweaks,' the legislation is 'the right approach.' He also suggested that the previous administration 'was asleep at the wheel' amid dozens of near-misses in the airspace around Washington's airspace. 'In the past, people became complacent — leaders became complacent' Duffy said. Homendy said the hearings over the next few days will be a 'fact-finding proceeding.' In addition, the NTSB will also post thousands of pages of evidence from the crash investigation online Wednesday morning. FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford said that he expects 'we're going to have some very uncomfortable conversations over the next two and a half days' but that 'they need to be had in the clear light of day – and simply put the best interest of the traveling public ahead of any of our personal interests, perhaps.' The hearings in Washington will involve NTSB board members, investigators and witnesses for organizations involved in the crash. Panels will focus on military helicopter routes in the Washington area, collision avoidance technology and training for air traffic controllers at Ronald Reagan National Airport, among other subjects. Federal officials have also raised concerns over the nation's outdated. and understaffed air traffic control system. During January's mid-air crash above Washington, one controller was handing both commercial airline and helicopter traffic at the busy airport. Duffy has announced a multi-billion-dollar plan to overhaul the system controllers use that relies on old technology like floppy disks.
Yahoo
30-07-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
NTSB launches hearings on deadly Washington collision between a helicopter and passenger plane
Three days of investigative hearings on the deadly midair collision over Washington in January begin Wednesday and aim to reveal new insights into what caused the crash between a passenger plane and an Army helicopter that killed 67 people. The National Transportation Safety Board will question witnesses and investigators about how the actions of the Federal Aviation Administration and its air traffic controllers and the Army may have contributed to the nation's deadliest plane crash since November 2001. It's likely too early for the board to identify the cause of the crash. The American Airlines plane from Wichita, Kansas collided with a Black Hawk helicopter while coming into land at Ronald Reagan National Airport and was the first in a string of crashes and near misses this year that have alarmed officials and the travelling public, despite statistics that still show flying remains the safest form of transportation. Investigations have already shown the FAA failed to recognize a troubling history of 85 near misses around Reagan airport in the years before the collision, and that the Army's helicopters routinely flew around the nation's capitol with a key piece of locating equipment, known as ADS-B Out, turned off. Aviation attorney Bob Clifford, who is working to file one of the first lawsuits against the government next month, said he hopes NTSB will look beyond the immediate factors that caused this crash to highlight the bigger ongoing concerns in the crowded Washington airspace. 'In this particular instance, there's a much broader picture. And that is the known problems that were being ignored about an unsafe environment for the commercial aircraft to be navigating with the military aviation helicopters in the area,' Clifford said. Even though the final NTSB report won't be released until sometime next year, U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz isn't waiting to propose changes. He introduced legislation Tuesday that would require all aircraft operators to use both forms of ADS-B, or Automatic Dependent Surveillance Broadcast, the technology to broadcast aircraft location data to other planes and air traffic controllers. Most aircraft today are equipped with ADS-B Out equipment but the airlines would have to add the more comprehensive ADS-B In technology to their planes. 'There cannot be a double standard in aviation safety,' Cruz said. 'We should not tolerate special exceptions for military training flights, operating in congested air space.' The legislation would revoke an exemption on ADS-B transmission requests for Department of Defense aircrafts. It also would require the FAA to evaluate helicopter routes near airports and require the Army Inspector General to review the Army's aviation safety practices. NTSB Chairwoman Jennifer Homendy said her agency has been recommending that move for decades after several other crashes. 'In 2008, we sent a letter to FAA stating the board believes that the equipage of aircraft with ADS-B In capability will provide — and I want to stress this — an immediate and substantial contribution to safety, especially during operations in and around airports,' she said. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said that while he'd like to discuss 'a few tweaks,' the legislation is 'the right approach.' He also suggested that the previous administration 'was asleep at the wheel' amid dozens of near-misses in the airspace around Washington's airspace. 'In the past, people became complacent — leaders became complacent' Duffy said. Homendy said the hearings over the next few days will be a 'fact-finding proceeding.' In addition, the NTSB will also post thousands of pages of evidence from the crash investigation online Wednesday morning. FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford said that he expects 'we're going to have some very uncomfortable conversations over the next two and a half days' but that 'they need to be had in the clear light of day – and simply put the best interest of the traveling public ahead of any of our personal interests, perhaps.' The hearings in Washington will involve NTSB board members, investigators and witnesses for organizations involved in the crash. Panels will focus on military helicopter routes in the Washington area, collision avoidance technology and training for air traffic controllers at Ronald Reagan National Airport, among other subjects. Federal officials have also raised concerns over the nation's outdated. and understaffed air traffic control system. During January's mid-air crash above Washington, one controller was handing both commercial airline and helicopter traffic at the busy airport. Duffy has announced a multi-billion-dollar plan to overhaul the system controllers use that relies on old technology like floppy disks. ___ Associated Press writers Leah Askarinam, Ben Finley and Rio Yamat contributed to this story.
