{"id":2397962,"date":"2025-02-02T10:15:59","date_gmt":"2025-02-02T15:15:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/warnings-ignored-deadly-dc-plane-crash-roils-debate-on-expanding-airport-washington-examiner\/"},"modified":"2025-02-02T10:19:51","modified_gmt":"2025-02-02T15:19:51","slug":"warnings-ignored-deadly-dc-plane-crash-roils-debate-on-expanding-airport-washington-examiner","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/warnings-ignored-deadly-dc-plane-crash-roils-debate-on-expanding-airport-washington-examiner\/","title":{"rendered":"Warnings ignored: Deadly DC plane crash roils debate on expanding airport &#8211; Washington Examiner"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"float:left\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">28<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fwarnings-ignored-deadly-dc-plane-crash-roils-debate-on-expanding-airport-washington-examiner%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2397962&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>The\u2064 article discusses\u200c the recent midair collision between a commercial\u200b jet and a military helicopter over\u200b the Potomac River,which\u2063 has intensified the \u2064debate over\u2062 airport \u2063operations in the Washington,D.C. area. Lawmakers from Maryland and Virginia express concerns \u2064that this tragic incident will deter further expansion of flights\u200d at Ronald Reagan Washington \u2063National\u2064 Airport, already one of the busiest and\u2064 most \u2063congested airspaces in the United States. <\/p>\n<p>Despite previous lobbying efforts aimed at increasing long-haul flights from\u200b the airport, regional lawmakers had \u200brepeatedly warned about air traffic congestion and safety\u200d risks. The National Transportation Safety Board \u200dis currently \u200binvestigating the crash, leading some policymakers to reconsider\u200d future flight expansions and the safety protocols\u200d surrounding \u2063military and civilian aircraft communication.<\/p>\n<p>Senators Tim Kaine and mark Warner, who have been vocal about their concerns regarding flight \u200ctraffic,\u200c point out that \u200bthe airspace has become increasingly\u2063 complex, \u200bparticularly since \u20649\/11. They \u2064are urging further examination of the fatal collision and are advocating for stricter restrictions on helicopter \u2063flights near the airport to prevent similar incidents. The Federal Aviation Administration has already\u200d imposed an indefinite\u200b ban on helicopter\u200d flights in the \u2064vicinity due \u200dto safety concerns stemming from the crash.<\/p>\n<p>the article highlights the significant implications of the crash for \u200bair\u2062 traffic \u2064regulations in the D.C. area and the potential \u200bchanges in policy it may trigger regarding flight operations and safety\u2062 measures.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<p><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><\/p>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-header-search-button-mob dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search\" aria-labelledby=\"td-header-search-button\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search-inner\">\n<form method=\"get\" class=\"tdb-search-form\" action=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/\"><\/form>\n<div class=\"tdb-aj-search\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/#\" role=\"button\" aria-label=\"Search\" class=\"tdb-head-search-btn dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<h1 class=\"tdb-title-text\">Warnings ignored: Deadly DC plane crash roils debate on expanding airport<\/h1>\n<div><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-title-line\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div id=\"Brid_1965965\" class=\"tpd-featured-video bridtv\"><\/div>\n<p>Lawmakers from <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/maryland\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">Maryland<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/virginia\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">Virginia<\/a> believe the recent commercial jet <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/policy\/defense\/3306687\/crash-probe-begins-clearer-picture-emerges\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">collision<\/a> with a military helicopter over the Potomac River on Wednesday will discourage any further flight expansions in one of the nation&rsquo;s most congested air corridors.<\/p>\n<div class=\"article-paywall\">\n<p>While congressional members are hesitant to jump to conclusions until an in-depth investigation is completed by the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/ntsb\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"National Transportation Safety Board\">National Transportation Safety Board<\/a> (NTSB), lawmakers are underscoring concerns they had leveled for years over the congestion in the skies above the nation&rsquo;s capital.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Over the last two years, lawmakers from the D.C. area fought back against an <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/1705878\/fight-to-add-more-long-haul-flights-into-dc-area-reagan-airport-heats-up\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">intense lobbying campaign<\/a> to allow <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/inside-the-fight-to-kill-new-flights-at-lawmakers-favorite-airport\/\" title=\"The Battle to Halt New ... at ...&#039; Preferred ...\">additional long-haul flights<\/a> out of the airport closest to the nation&rsquo;s capital, arguing the airport was already strained by traffic and noise disruption.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;When you just look at the raw numbers, what Reagan National was built for, what is going on right now, the airspace has gotten very complicated, especially post 9\/11. You&rsquo;ve got commercial, you&rsquo;ve got military, all layered in,&rdquo; said Sen. Tim Kaine (D-VA), speaking to the <em>Washington Examiner.&nbsp;<\/em><\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;I&rsquo;ve just been very nervous that something like this would happen. I was very disappointed I was unable to convince my colleagues of that last year,&rdquo; he added. &ldquo;I was so distraught when I heard this news.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>Despite concerns raised by regional lawmakers, five new round-trip flights<a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/campaigns\/congressional\/3005946\/congress-new-flights-reagan-cities-destination\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\"> were authorized<\/a> in a major aviation bill signed into law last spring. Proponents of expanding the perimeter rule had been pushing for an additional 28 slots but ultimately only received five.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>The new slots are not up and running yet, but routes continued to be added over the years through the perimeter rule, which limits the number of flights that travel more than 1,250 miles from DCA. Both Reagan and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.flydulles.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">Dulles International Airport<\/a> are owned by the federal government, which means Congress has the power to decide how they operate.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Search efforts are seen around a wreckage site of a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/what-to-know-about-the-suit-against-faa-diversity-policies-critics-blame-for-crash-washington-examiner\/\" title=\"What to know about the suit against FAA di...rsity policies critics blame for ... - ...\">deadly midair collision<\/a> between an American Airlines jet and an Army helicopter, in the Potomac River near Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, Friday, Jan. 31, 2025, in Arlington, Va. (AP Photo\/Alex Brandon)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Lawmakers have carved out exemptions over the years to allow a small number of flights at the airport that are beyond the 1,250-mile limit, including flights to cities like Phoenix, Austin, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/Las-Vegas\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">Las Vegas<\/a>, Seattle, and Denver. The 2012 FAA reauthorization allowed 16 more flights beyond that perimeter.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;I think this crash is going to curb the desire to expand the number,&rdquo; Kaine said. &ldquo;Senator Warner and I never view this as over, it&rsquo;s just a perennial chipping that comes back and chip and chip and chip. This now, I&rsquo;m sure, will guarantee that. Before we do anymore on this, we&rsquo;ve really got to check some things out.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>Reagan National is one of the busiest airports in the country, with a record 25.5 million passengers in 2023. The airspace is complex with <a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/3YuVZYV\">commercial jets sharing restricted air space<\/a> with a plethora of other aircraft, including military, Metropolitan Police Department, National Park Service, Marine One, among others, that crisscross the Potomac every day.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;Congress, I feel, didn&rsquo;t take into consideration the region&rsquo;s concerns, but I don&rsquo;t believe those additional flights or slots as we call them have actually been added yet,&rdquo; Sen. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/Mark-Warner\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">Mark Warner<\/a> (D-VA) said, speaking to the <em>Washington Examiner.<\/em><\/p>\n<p>Warner said looking into the flight perimeter expansion is something they may need to &ldquo;reconsider now,&rdquo; but also emphasized that he would take cues from the NTSB and FAA professionals, who are still conducting an investigation.<\/p>\n<p>The Virginia senator also said he addressed a shortage of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/search-and-rescue-teams-at-site-of-indonesian-plane-crash\/\" title=\"Search and rescue teams at site of Indonesian ...\">air traffic controllers<\/a> in a speech on the Senate floor, ironically hours before the crash on Wednesday.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;The irony is in a speech on the floor that nobody listened to about 6 o&rsquo;clock last night, I specifically pointed out we&rsquo;re 2,000 air traffic controllers short,&rdquo; Warner said.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">.<a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/MarkWarner?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">@MarkWarner<\/a>: &ldquo;I am going to do everything I can to make sure that bill doesn&rsquo;t become a law,&rdquo; he said of efforts to expand the flight perimeter rules. <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/GJmMGpByEo\">pic.twitter.com\/GJmMGpByEo<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&mdash; Samantha-Jo Roth (@SamanthaJoRoth) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/SamanthaJoRoth\/status\/1678493619156578320?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">July 10, 2023<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p> <script data-cfasync=\"false\" src=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/cdn-cgi\/scripts\/5c5dd728\/cloudflare-static\/email-decode.min.js\"><\/script><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script>    <\/p>\n<p><span style=\"box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;\">Warner, Kaine, along with the congressional delegations from M<\/span>aryland and D.C., had sounded alarm bells for the last two years, sending out press releases, giving floor speeches, and even&nbsp;holding a press conference in July 2023&nbsp;at the airport.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>At the time,&nbsp;the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.mwaa.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority<\/a> argued the main runway at DCA was the busiest in the nation and did not have the capacity to handle more flights.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;This metropolitan area has the benefit of being served by three major airports,&rdquo; said Jack Potter, Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority CEO in 2023. &ldquo;Dulles has four runways 10,000 feet plus long 12,000 acres, BWI, 3,000 acres, a 10,000-foot runway, a 9,000-foot runway, and a 5,000-foot runway.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;Here at Reagan National, we have a runway that&rsquo;s under 8,000 feet long,&rdquo; Potter added. &ldquo;We do not have the capacity to handle this without constraints being thrust upon our neighbors and our passengers.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>The Federal Aviation Administration indefinitely restricted helicopter flights near the airport in the wake of the collision, an update <a href=\"https:\/\/www.reuters.com\/world\/us\/faa-restricting-helicopter-flights-near-reagan-national-after-crash-2025-01-31\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">first reported<\/a> by Reuters. There were 11,000 military helicopter flights annually within 30 miles of the airport, according to a 2021 government report.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">An American Airlines plane prepares to land at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport as crosses are seen in a makeshift memorial for the victims of the plane crash in the Potomac River Friday, Jan. 31, 2025, in Arlington, Va. (AP Photo\/Jose Luis Magana)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Dan Rose, who served in the U.S. Navy as a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/potomac-plane-crash-should-curb-further-dca-expansion-after-past-warnings-were-ignored-lawmakers-washington-examiner\/\" title=\"Potomac ... should curb further DCA ... after past warnings were ignored: ... - ...\">carrier-based attack pilot<\/a>, said officials need to reevaluate the helicopter routes that are near the airport and build in more significant restrictions to ensure another fatal collision never happens again.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;There&rsquo;s no way there should be that kind of margin of error built into a route underneath an approach to a runway, it&rsquo;s really the same thing as setting up a taxiway on a runway and just letting planes cross the runway at the taxiway point, without any real control over them,&rdquo; Rose said in an interview with the <em>Washington Examiner. <\/em>&ldquo;It&rsquo;s the same thing.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;You really shouldn&rsquo;t have the route designed the way it is, or you have to have significant limitations built in like you cannot cross the approach end of the runway without the tower, the control tower, specifically clearing you to cross underneath the flight path,&rdquo; Rose added.<\/p>\n<p>Sen. Roger Marshall (R-KS) who met with family members of victims in Washington on Thursday evening said he wants to see major changes specifically in how communications are handled between military and civilian aircraft. Investigators are still looking into whether the crew of the commercial plane was aware of the helicopter.<\/p>\n<p>Military aircraft often utilize ultra-high frequency (UHF) radios while civilian aircraft utilize very high frequency (VHF). The civilian aircraft can hear air traffic control speaking to the other aircraft but will not hear the pilot&rsquo;s response.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;I understand why military planes don&rsquo;t want the bad guys to know where they are, same with the regular police as well, I understand that, but they don&rsquo;t need to be over commercial airspace, busy, busy space like that,&rdquo; Marshall said. &ldquo;I don&rsquo;t know who made the policy, but it sounds like a future mistake.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>Sens. Ted Cruz (R-TX), the chairman of the committee that oversees aviation issues and Jerry Moran (R-KS), who leads the panel&rsquo;s subcommittee on Aviation received a briefing from federal officials on Thursday. They <a href=\"https:\/\/www.commerce.senate.gov\/2025\/1\/chairman-cruz-and-senator-moran-announce-intent-to-host-bipartisan-senate-commerce-committee-briefing-with-key-federal-officials\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">announced<\/a> they intend to hold a member-level briefing with a bipartisan group of senators in the near future.<\/p>\n<p>Cruz announced his panel will launch their own investigation into the crash.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;I&rsquo;ve directed the Commerce Committee to actively gather information about what went wrong,&rdquo; <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/SenTedCruz\/status\/1885004256849039662\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">he wrote on X<\/a>, &ldquo;and I plan to hold a bipartisan member-level briefing with key federal officials as soon as possible.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><\/a><\/strong>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>While the DMV delegation hadn&rsquo;t specifically raised concerns about military aircraft in their fight against expanding flights at lawmaker&rsquo;s favorite airport, Kaine repeatedly highlighted a near-collision between a Southwest Airlines flight and a Jetblue flight on a DCA runway in mid-April of last year. As lawmakers were debating the FAA bill last spring, Kaine <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=PkPq8SQk7MA\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">gave a speech<\/a> on the Senate floor, highlighting the crash and arguing that more traffic at the airport was a major safety risk.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;I can&rsquo;t re-watch that speech I gave. It would make me too upset,&rdquo; Kaine said.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p> <script>!function(){var g=window;g.googletag=g.googletag||{},g.googletag.cmd=g.googletag.cmd||[],g.googletag.cmd.push(function(){g.googletag.pubads().setTargeting(\"has-featured-video\",\"true\")})}();<\/script><script>var _bp=_bp||[];_bp.push({\"div\":\"Brid_1965965\",\"obj\":{\"id\":\"27789\",\"width\":\"1280\",\"height\":\"720\",\"stickyDirection\":\"below\",\"video\":\"1965965\"}});<\/script><script defer src=\"https:\/\/services.brid.tv\/player\/build\/brid.min.js\"><\/script><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Warnings overlooked: Fatal DC plane crash fuels airport expansion debate<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2657,"featured_media":2397963,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/DC-Crash-3-scaled-1024x683.webp","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[38144,49672,38143],"class_list":["post-2397962","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","tag-aviation-safety","tag-dc-airport","tag-plane-crash"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/DC-Crash-3-scaled-1024x683.webp","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2397962","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2657"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2397962"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2397962\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2397966,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2397962\/revisions\/2397966"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2397963"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2397962"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2397962"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2397962"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}