Cantwell, colleagues demanded DOT and Army OIGs dig into how both failed to act on safety warnings

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Department of Transportation Office of the Inspector General (DOT OIG) today announced it will spearhead a safety audit of FAA’s oversight of DCA airspace. In June, Senator Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.), Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation, led a letter along with Chairman Ted Cruz (R-Texas) to DOT’s Acting Inspector General and the Inspector General of the Army (Army OIG) requesting concurrent safety audits in response to the January 29^th mid-air collision and ongoing coordination issues between the Army and DCA air traffic control. To date, the Army has refused to conduct its own audit.

"This DOT Inspector General audit will demand answers about why the FAA ignored over 15,000 dangerous helicopter incidents and allowed military aircraft to fly without critical safety equipment in DCA's congested airspace,” Sen. Cantwell said. “It's time for the Army IG to step up and launch their own audit."

In their June 9 letter, the Senators said the DOT OIG audit should “determine whether FAA’s decisions regarding airspace design failures contributed to the accident at DCA— including any FAA actions to reduce required separation margins— and assess FAA’s oversight and enforcement of ADS-B Out exemptions utilized by relevant Federal agencies to determine if such exemptions have been granted and used appropriately, particularly in Class B airspace.”

Senator Cantwell has been a leader in the investigation of the January 29^th collision through her role on the Commerce Committee, including calling for permanent helicopter restrictions near DCA. On March 7, Sen. Cantwell sent a letter to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth requesting that the Department of Defense (DoD) clarify how often and why it operates aircraft in the National Capital Region without Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B) Out transmitting. On June 5, 2025, Senator Cantwell introduced the Safe Operation of Shared Airspace Act of 2025, the first comprehensive safety legislation in response to the DCA collision.

Senator Cantwell has a long history on aviation safety. Most recently, under her leadership as Chair of the Committee, the Federal Aviation Administration Reauthorization Act of 2024 passed the Senate and House with overwhelming bipartisan support and was signed into law. Boosting FAA’s safety-critical staff – including more air traffic controllers - was the top priority of the 2024 Reauthorization. In 2020, Sen. Cantwell’s landmark Aircraft Certification, Safety, and Accountability Act strengthened the FAA’s oversight of aircraft manufacturers, mandated safety management systems for aircraft manufacturers, and required the FAA to convene an independent expert panel to review the safety processes and culture of Organization Designation Authorization (ODA) holders like Boeing.