One year after deadly mid-air collision, safety reforms underway

WASHINGTON (Gray DC) - NTSB issues 33 recommendations following mid-air crash that killed 67 people

WASHINGTON — One year after a deadly mid-air collision between a U.S. Army Black Hawk helicopter and an American Airlines regional jet over the Potomac River, federal investigators have issued comprehensive safety recommendations aimed at preventing similar tragedies.

The crash killed 67 people and prompted the National Transportation Safety Board to cite systematic failure, ignored complaints, miscommunication and crowded airspace as contributing factors.

At a memorial service Wednesday, NTSB Chair Jennifer Homendy promised continued action on safety reforms.

“I commit to you that the NTSB will never, ever give up we will never give up until every single one of our safety recommendations are fully implemented,” Homendy said.

Federal response includes immediate changes

The NTSB issued 33 recommendations that include comprehensive reforms to helicopter route design, air traffic control procedures, safety management systems, data sharing and collision avoidance technology.

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said one recommendation was implemented the day after the crash.

“We came together and made a decision with the FAA that we were going to ban fixed wing cross traffic in DCA,” Duffy said. “The cause of this crash what we referred to as human error is, in reality, the last event in the causal chain immediately preceding a crash or accident.”

Congressional action pending

Virginia Senator Mark Warner is pushing legislation from Capitol Hill, including efforts to limit new flights at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport.

“We’ve kind of put to bed for the next couple of years the debate about adding new flights to the National Airport to accommodate, you know, the personal whims of members of Congress,” Warner said.

Warner is also supporting the ROTOR Act, which mandates communication between military and commercial pilots and shares aircraft location in congested airspace. The bill passed the Senate but is stalled in the House.