Senators grill aviation leaders over 15,000 close calls at DC airport before deadly collision



Senators on Thursday grilled several aviation leaders during a hearing concerning the January midair collision between an America Airlines commercial jet and an Army Black Hawk helicopter that resulted in the deaths of 67 people.

Sen. Jerry Moran (R-Kan.), the chairman of the Subcommittee on Aviation, Space, and Innovation, cited a preliminary report from the National Transportation Safety Board in his opening statements, noting that the agency’s investigation found thousands of close-call incidents near the Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport over a three-year period.

'Specifically, even since the crash, certain safety measures that could have been simply implemented still have not been.'

“Sixty-seven lives that were lost on January 29 were taken prematurely in an accident that by all indications should have been avoided,” Moran stated.

He called the statistics in the NTSB’s preliminary report “alarming.”

“In a 13-year period, not a single month went by without at least one ‘close call’ between a helicopter and a commercial jet operating at DCA,” Moran continued. “Between October ’21 and December ’24, there were 85 incidents where the lateral separation between a commercial jet and helicopter was less than 1,500 feet and the vertical separation was less than 200 feet.”

The NTSB’s report stated that during the same period, of the 944,179 operations, 15,214 were considered “near midair collision events” between commercial planes and helicopters. The report defined those close calls as instances where two aircraft were “less than 1 [nautical mile],” or roughly 6,000 feet, of lateral separation and “less than 400 ft” of vertical separation.

The NTSB also found that “a helicopter operating over the eastern shoreline of the Potomac River would have about 75 ft of vertical separation from an airplane approaching runway 33, and this distance decreases if the helicopter is operated farther from the shoreline.”

Jennifer Homendy, the chair of the NTSB, told senators, “There’s virtually no margin of error.”

Chris Rocheleau, the Federal Aviation Administration’s acting administrator, was pressed about how the agency failed to address the safety concerns.

“How did we get to this point?” Sen. Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.) asked Rocheleau. “It’s like it’s a series of errors here.”

“What office said this is a safe pathway in agreement when the NTSB is telling us today it never really was safe? It was an intolerable risk,” she stated.

Rocheleau explained that the airspace was redesigned several times in the past.

“When you talk about how did we get there, I think we’re going to learn more of that through the investigation,” he replied.

Rocheleau stated that the FAA’s air traffic system requires “modernization as soon as possible.”

“I can assure to the flying public: to fly is safe. We have the safest, most complex system in the world, and it is safe to fly. I would also say the air traffic system is in dire need of upgrade,” he said.

Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) questioned Brigadier General Matthew Braman, the U.S. Army aviation director, about a controversial policy that allows flights to operate with the automatic dependent surveillance-broadcast, a key safety system, turned off.

“I find that shocking and deeply unacceptable. And I want to encourage the Army right now to revisit that policy and to revisit that policy today,” Cruz told Braman. “I can tell you, if the Army chooses not to, I have a high level of confidence that Congress will pass legislation mandating that you revisit the policy.”

Family members of the victims also attended the Senate hearing.

Dailey Crafton, the brother of 40-year-old Casey, a husband and father of three who died in the collision, told the Daily Caller that he was “surprised” by the safety lapses.

“Specifically, even since the crash, certain safety measures that could have been simply implemented still have not been. Accountability is still not being taken by parties who should be held responsible,” he said.

Tracy Brammeier, a partner at Clifford Law Offices, which is representing the families, stated, “The failure to share details about near-midair collisions, or to perform trend analysis on the history of such incidents, or otherwise take action to address the high number of occurrences is completely unacceptable.”

“All entities who failed to take action must be held accountable to the victims’ families and to the flying public,” Brammeier added.

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United Airlines flight from LA to China forced to turn around mid-flight because pilot made 'embarrassing' mistake



A United Airlines flight from California to China was forced to turn around mid-flight because the pilot made the egregious mistake of forgetting to bring his passport, according to reports.

A United Airlines flight departed from Los Angeles International Airport just before 2 p.m. on Saturday. United Flight UA 198 was flying from LAX to Shanghai, China.

'How could someone mess up this badly at work?'

However, the pilot reportedly realized that he had forgotten to bring his passport on the international flight to China.

Radar shows the airliner traveling over the Pacific Ocean before making a U-turn and flying back to California.

Two hours into the flight, the plane had to turn around and divert to the San Francisco International Airport, according to CNN.

Citing a statement from United Airlines, NBC News reported that the "pilot on the flight did not have their passport."

“We arranged for a new crew to take our customers to their destination that evening," United stated.

Yang Shuhan — a Chinese passenger aboard the flight — told CNN that the pilot sounded “frustrated” while announcing on the intercom that he “forgot (his) passport.”

Data on FlightAware.com showed the plane landing in San Francisco shortly after 5 p.m. on Saturday.

“Your flight diverted to San Francisco due to an unexpected crew-related issue requiring a new crew,” a United Airlines spokesperson stated, according to travel site View from the Wing. “Once they arrive, we’ll get you back on your way to Shanghai as soon as possible. We sincerely apologize for this disruption and appreciate your patience.”

The failed flight touched down in Shanghai approximately six hours behind schedule. The New York Post reported that passengers were provided with "$15 meal vouchers and compensation."

There were 257 passengers and 13 crew members onboard the United airliner.

Alleged travelers on the plane vented on social media regarding the rerouted flight.

An alleged passenger wrote on the X social media platform, "UA 198 diverted to SFO because the pilot forgot his passport? Now stuck 6+ hours. Completely unacceptable. United, what compensation are you offering for this total mishandling?”

United Airlines replied, “Hi there. We sincerely apologize for this unexpected travel disruption."

An alleged passenger reportedly said on the Chinese social networking platform Rednote, "How could someone mess up this badly at work?"

Shukor Yusof — founder of Singapore-based Endau Analytics, an advisory company for the aviation industry — called the "absent-mindedness" mistake “embarrassing” and “unacceptable” for a prominent international airline like United Airlines, adding that it “shows a lack of discipline.”

A reported traveler told CNN, “I’m feeling pretty frustrated. Because of the delay, I have to reschedule all my plans for Monday, which is really inconvenient.”

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Flashback: Biden's first FAA nominee accused of being DEI hire after he couldn't answer any aviation questions



President Biden's first pick to lead the Federal Aviation Administration was a disastrous choice when it came to possessing actual knowledge about aviation and regulations.

In 2023, Biden nominated Phillip Washington, CEO of the Denver International Airport. Washington eventually withdrew his nomination after being subjected to questioning from senators like Ted Budd (R-N.C.), who revealed that Democrats may not have been focusing on merit when it came to who leads the country's airspace.

Footage of those exchanges has resurfaced following the disaster at Reagan National Airport in which an Army Black Hawk helicopter crashed into a passenger plane. The collision killed 67 people.

'I'm not a pilot.'

With the country concerned about the hiring practices of the FAA, the video of Budd questioning Washington showed just how unqualified the nominee was for a position as important as director of the FAA.

"What are the six types of special-use airspace that protect this national security that appear on FAA charts?" Budd asked Washington at a confirmation hearing.

"Sorry, Senator. I cannot answer that question," Washington replied.

Budd repeatedly asked other aviation questions: "Okay. So what are the operational limitations of a pilot flying under basic med?"

"Senator, I'm not a pilot. So ..." Washington answered.

The nominee soon attempted to provide some examples like "high blood pressure," but Budd interjected to let Washington know the question actually had nothing to do with medical restrictions.

"What altitude you can fly under ... amount of knots; it's under 250 knots. So it's not having anything to do with blood pressure," Budd explained.

In a video of the exchange that received over 1.3 million views, Washington mentioned that he was not a pilot multiple times, even when Budd asked a basic question like, "What causes an aircraft to spin or stall?"

"Again, Senator, I'm not a pilot," Washington answered.

At the time, comments from viewers poured in about Washington being a prime example of diversity, equity, and inclusion hiring practices.

"Here is DEI at it's [sic] finest!" radio host Richard Mindler Jr. claimed.

"Perfect example of DEI," a viewer wrote, sharing the video.

"DEI = didn't earn it, below [is a] simple example of this," another viewer said of Washington's responses.

"DEI will always be dangerous and objectively a disaster wherever it’s deployed," another critic said in response.

— (@)

Despite former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg calling Washington "an excellent nominee," Washington withdrew his nomination in the weeks that followed.

Senator Budd then claimed that the Biden administration did not focus on "actual qualifications" and put forward a nominee who did not have "basic aviation knowledge."

The nominee was then replaced by Biden's second choice, Michael G. Whitaker, a former deputy administrator at the FAA.

Whitaker ended up resigning just 10 days before the D.C. crash in 2025, but his intent to step down was announced in December 2024.

Elon Musk had reportedly called for the official's resignation amid a $600,000 fine against Musk's SpaceX for alleged regulatory violations.

Musk described the fines as excessive and demanded Whitaker’s resignation. He also stated that the FAA was engaged in harassment and regulatory overreach.

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FAA's staff shortages, ancient tech could be to blame for avoidable aviation tragedy, BlazeTV documentary reveals



On Wednesday evening, an Army Black Hawk helicopter collided with an American Airlines flight near the Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, resulting in the tragic deaths of all 67 people aboard both aircraft.

This fatal collision has raised significant concerns about aviation safety in the U.S., particularly in light of numerous near misses — occurring at a rate of nearly three per week — that can largely be attributed to understaffed and overworked air traffic controllers.

'The permanent bureaucracy at the FAA decided that it was producing too many white men.'

In December, BlazeTV released a new original documentary, "Countdown to the Next Aviation Disaster."

BlazeTV host of "Stu Does America" Stu Burguiere delved into the bureaucratic red tape bogging down the Federal Aviation Administration, preventing it from adequately staffing its workforce and implementing essential, overdue technological upgrades.

Rob Mark, a pilot and former controller, told Burguiere, "Half the controllers in the country are working six-day weeks, 10-hour days. And it's mandatory."

"There are many other incidents that happen on a weekly basis in our system that don't make the nightly news. It's because some controller or some pilot caught it before it got out of hand," Mark added.

The FAA has about 1,000 fewer fully certified controllers than a decade ago, even though air traffic has increased.

A June 2023 Department of Transportation Office of Inspector General report found that 77% of critical facilities are staffed below the FAA's 85% threshold.

In April, air traffic controllers at the Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport told a Southwest pilot to turn into the path of another commercial jet that was about to take off.

Days later, the FAA issued a memorandum requiring controllers to have "at least a 10-hour break from the time work ends to the start of any shift."

However, the new directive failed to address the underlying controller shortage issue.

Robert Poole, the founder of the Reason Foundation, told Burguiere that the technology used by air traffic controllers is surprisingly outdated.

He noted that one example is the use of "paper flight strips" to track planes.

"It comes off a little printer at the controller's workstation," Poole explained.

The FAA has been trying to update the paper system to digital since 1983, but the plans remain behind schedule and over budget.

Poole confirmed a November 2023 report from the FAA that revealed the agency is still using floppy disks.

The report also stated that the agency uses such outdated equipment that replacement parts are unavailable.

"Beacons used to determine the location of aircraft with working transponders," the report reads. "Includes 331 units that are 28-46 years old. Many of these systems are pre-digital, and many parts are unavailable because the manufacturers no longer exist or no longer support these systems."

Furthermore, many individuals with the expertise to fix such radar equipment have aged out of the workforce.

The FAA is using more than 1,200 instrument landing systems that are no longer supported by the manufacturers that made them.

"The FAA lacks the intellectual property rights to make its own parts," the report noted.

Poole stated that the alarming safety report received "virtually no attention" in the media.

Sean Nation, a lawyer with the Mountain States Legal Foundation, explained to BlazeTV that the FAA made significant changes to its hiring process for air traffic controllers a decade ago.

"Up until 2014, they used a merits-based test," Nation said. "But the permanent bureaucracy at the FAA decided that it was producing too many white men to become air traffic controllers. They decided to change the hiring process and introduce a new first step, which was called the biographical questionnaire."

Nation, who is suing the FAA, argued that the agency's hiring practices are not legal.

In 2022, former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg declared that 3% of the FAA's workforce must "identify as individuals with 'targeted disabilities.'"

"Targeted disabilities" were defined as "individuals who suffer from total deafness in both ears, total blindness, missing extremities, partial paralysis, complete paralysis, epilepsy, severe intellectual disabilities, psychiatric disabilities, and dwarfism."

In a statement to BlazeTV, the FAA — then still under the Biden administration — said that hiring more controllers was "a top priority" for the agency.

The agency noted that it has "implement[ed] engaging hiring campaigns" with the goal of "reach[ing] more youth from diverse backgrounds."

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‘Countdown to the Next Aviation Disaster’ – Blaze Originals documentary available NOW



When most people go to the airport, they are preoccupied with thoughts of checking luggage, obtaining boarding passes, getting to the correct gate, and determining whether or not their carry-on will fit in the overhead compartment. They aren’t thinking about what’s going on behind the scenes in air traffic control.

Until recently, passengers have never had to think about the strangers up in the towers tasked with ensuring that planes don’t crash into each other on the ground or in the air. They’ve always trusted that these individuals are highly qualified and capable of ensuring their safety.

Unfortunately, those days of blindly trusting that air traffic controllers have a tight grip on the reins are long gone. BlazeTV’s Stu Burguiere lays it all out in the latest Blaze Originals documentary.

“Over the past year, the number of close calls between commercial airliners has surged to nearly three per week,” says Burguiere.

What changed?

Stu traveled to Chicago, South Florida, Denver, Phoenix, and Washington, D.C., and met with experts in the field as well as government officials to seek answers to that question.

The results of his investigation are both harrowing and complicated.

From severe understaffing and absurd DEI hiring policies to outdated technology and a seemingly untouchable Federal Aviation Administration, the people managing 45,000 flights, three million travelers, and 29 million square miles of airspace every single day are not in a position to continue keeping our skies safe.

We can’t help but wonder: It’s been 15 years since the last fatal commercial airline crash, but is the golden era of flying coming to an end?

Join Stu as he digs into the air infrastructure scandal few others are willing to give attention to.

“Blaze Originals: Countdown to the Next Aviation Disaster” drops today on BlazeTV. If you’re not already a subscriber, go to BlazeOriginals.com and start a seven-day free trial. Plus, use code DEI for $30 off your first year of BlazeTV+

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FAA investigating near collision after Cessna nearly lands on top of Southwest Airlines 737 taking off



A Cessna Citation business jet flew within an alarmingly close proximity to a Boeing 737 that was taking off at the San Diego International Airport on Friday. Now, the Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board are investigating the near collision in California.

Just before 12:00 p.m. on Friday, a Southwest Airlines Boeing 737 was about to take off. At the same time, the air traffic controller cleared the Cessna Citation to land on the same runway.

The FAA said in a statement, "The controller had previously cleared the Citation to land on Runway 27 and then instructed Southwest Flight 2493 to taxi onto that runway and wait for instructions to depart."

The automated ground surveillance system detected the two aircraft were dangerously close to colliding with each other and alerted the air traffic controller.

Simply Flying reported, "The controller immediately directed the Cessna to discontinue the landing procedure, thereby avoiding an oncoming catastrophe."

The Cessna flew approximately 100 feet directly above the Southwest Airlines Boeing 737 on the runway.

— (@)

The Cessna safely landed at San Diego International Airport. Meanwhile, Southwest Airlines Flight 2493 took off and later safely landed as scheduled in San Jose, California.

No injuries were reported on either aircraft.

The FAA and NTSB are investigating the near collision, and Southwest Airlines is assisting authorities in the investigation. The FAA is sending a team of experts to the San Diego International Airport to investigate.

Shockingly, this is the sixth near-collision event on airport runways since January.

In February, a similar near-collision event nearly happened in February when a FedEx cargo plane came within 115 feet of almost landing on a Southwest Airlines Boeing 737 taking off at Austin-Bergstrom International Airport.

Then in June, an Allegiant Air plane nearly crashed with a small aircraft at the Austin-Bergstrom International Airport.

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