Ten House Democrats, led by Rep. Don Beyer (D-Va.), asked the Department of Defense to reduce air traffic near Reagan-Washington National Airport (DCA) after a helicopter and passenger plane collision left 67 people on board.
They also requested that the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and Department of Defense (DOD) implement permanent reductions in “critical” air traffic around DCA, create alternative helicopter routes to avoid redirecting near residential areas, and ensure pilots use ADS-B Out tracking systems.
“We believe that reducing helicopter traffic will ease airspace congestion and prevent potential conflicts from redirected aircraft,” the lawmakers said in a letter.
The FAA has already announced plans to permanently restrict operation of “non-essential” helicopters around DCA, citing a report from the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) that revealed thousands of close calls between planes and helicopters near DCA over the past three years.
The FAA will permanently shut down Route 4, a 4-mile stretch between Wilson Bridge and Haynes Point, for helicopter use, except in emergency situations, and prohibits use of runways 15/33 and 4/22 at DCA for helicopters that have completed critical missions nearby.
Jerry Moran (R-Kan.), head of the Air Subcommittee, and Senate Commerce Committee Chairman Ted Cruz (R-Texas), will hold a hearing on March 27th to investigate the NTSB report.
A letter was signed by André Carson (Ind.), Gerry Connolly (Va.), Steny Hoyer (MD.), Glenn Ivey (MD.), April McClain Delaney (Md.), Jennifer McClellan (VA.), Jamie Raskin (MD.), Eleanor Holmes Norton (DC), and others.
