WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.), Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation, and Committee Chairman Ted Cruz (R-Texas) were joined by U.S. Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee Chairman Rand Paul (R-Ky.), Ranking Member Gary Peters (D-Mich.), all Democratic members of the Committee and several Republican members in sending a letter to Acting Inspector General of the Department of Transportation (DOT OIG) Mitch Behm and Inspector General of the Department of the Army (Army OIG) Lieutenant General Gregory J. Brady requesting concurrent safety audits in response to the January 29^th mid-air collision near National Airport (DCA), as well as ongoing coordination issues between the Army and DCA air traffic control.

“Both audits should specifically address whether improved FAA and Army procedures, communication systems, or adherence to existing protocols would increase aviation safety in the National Capital Region,” the Senators wrote.

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.

The text of the letter can be found HERE and below:

Dear Mr. Behm and Lieutenant General Brady: 

On Tuesday, March 11, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) released a preliminary report regarding the January 9, 2025 collision between American Airlines flight 5342, operated by PSA Airlines, and a U.S. Army Black Hawk helicopter, operated by The Army Aviation Brigade stationed at Davison Army Airfield at Ford Belvoir, Virginia that resulted in 67 fatalities. Along with the report, the NTSB released two urgent safety recommendations aimed at deconflicting fixed-wing and rotorcraft traffic in the National Capital Region (NCR). The NTSB also released data showing that, from October 2021 through December 2024, there were 15,214 close proximity incidents between commercial aircraft and helicopters involving a lateral separation of less than one nautical mile and a vertical separation of less than 400 feet. 

Despite these findings and the tragedy in January, on May 1, less than a week after resuming operations in the NCR, an Army Black Hawk helicopter flying a training mission to the Pentagon, also operated by The Army Aviation Brigade, aborted a landing at the Pentagon Heliport and caused DCA air traffic control to issue go-around orders to two commercial aircraft on final approach. The Army Aviation Brigade later suspended operations pending an internal review. 

Following the horrific accident at DCA that claimed 67 lives and the subsequent discovery of known safety gaps, we request that the Office of the Inspector General of the Department of the Army (Army OIG) and the Acting Inspector General of the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT OIG) initiate concurrent audits investigating the concerns noted below.

The Department of Transportation’s Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is tasked with ensuring the safety of United States airspace. The DOT OIG audit should assess the FAA’s oversight and management of existing aviation safety gaps, its analysis of data on loss of separation incidents, its design and management of airspace and flight routes around DCA, and should review the role and effectiveness of the DC Helicopter Working Group. The audit should also 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. 

The Army OIG audit should address the Army’s coordination with the Federal Aviation Administration during NCR operations, pilot training and qualification standards in the NCR, the Army’s policy on ADS-B equipage, usage, and activation, maintenance protocols for UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters operated by the Army Aviation Brigade, compliance with the Letter of Agreement between the Army and FAA regarding flight operations in the NCR, and the Army’s review of loss of separation incidents involving its rotorcraft in the NCR along with possible mitigations to prevent future mishaps. 

Both audits should specifically address whether improved FAA and Army procedures, communication systems, or adherence to existing protocols would increase aviation safety in the NCR. 

Thank you for your attention to this matter.

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