Duckworth, Larsen and Cohen Urge FAA to Address Safety Issues at DCA in the Wake of Recent Deadly and Near-Miss Accidents

[WASHINGTON, D.C.] – U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL)—Senate Subcommittee on Aviation, Space and Innovation Ranking Member—with House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure Ranking Member Rick Larsen (D-WA-02) and House Subcommittee on Aviation Ranking Member Steve Cohen (D-TN-09) today wrote to Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Acting Administrator Chris Rocheleau with their concerns regarding the safety of aircraft operations in and around Washington National Airport (DCA) in the wake of recent tragic incidents and multiple close calls.
“In the wake of the tragic January 29, 2025 midair collision, the operational challenges at DCA were thrust into the spotlight, drawing increased scrutiny and attention,” theMembers wrote.“This includes numerous underlying issues, such as problems with existing standard operating procedures and air traffic controller resourcing.”
Given the continuing pattern of safety incidents at DCA following the tragic mid-air collision on January 29, the Members called for the FAA to take the following actions:
In addition to the above actions, the Ranking Members call on the FAA to expand its ongoing SRMP review of DCA to include an analysis of various additional factors, including congestion in the airspace, the ideal staffing levels of the air traffic control tower, outstanding National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) recommendations, aircraft safety technology equipage and communication standards and the general mental health of aviation professionals working or operating at DCA. To ensure safer skies for the flying public, the FAA must take these immediate actions.
The full letter is available on theSenator’s websiteand below.
Dear Acting Administrator Rocheleau,
We write to express our considerable concerns regarding the safety of aircraft operations in and around Washington National Airport (DCA). In the wake of the tragic January 29, 2025 midair collision, the operational challenges at DCA were thrust into the spotlight, drawing increased scrutiny and attention. This includes numerous underlying issues, such as problems with existing standard operating procedures (SOP) and air traffic controller resourcing.  In response, the FAA has made urgent safety changes which we strongly support, including the prohibition of operations on helicopter route 4 at DCA, the examination of helicopter operations at 21 other U.S. airports in 10 metro areas, a review of air traffic controllers staffing levels at the DCA tower, and an evaluation of DCA’s current hourly aircraft arrival rates.
Despite these efforts, incidents at DCA continue to occur at an alarming rate. On Thursday, March 27, two air traffic controllers at DCA’s tower were involved in a physical altercation, with one controller being arrested and put on administrative leave while the FAA investigates the matter. Although the cause of the altercation has yet to be determined, we remain concerned that the mounting stress arising from the January 29 accident is having a lasting effect on air traffic controllers at DCA and that FAA’s dispatching of a ‘stress management team,’ while welcome, may be an insufficient response.
On Friday, March 28, there was another alarming loss of separation between a military aircraft and civilian commercial carrier. According to numerous sources, a flight of four Air Force T-38 Talons was conducting a flyby of the Arlington National Cemetery (ANC), at which point DCA was advised to stop departures. Despite the notification, DCA continued to launch departures as the group of Talons continued inbound to the ANC. After Delta Airlines Flight 2983 departed Runway 19, separation was lost with the Talons, resulting in a serious near-miss event that allowed a distance between the two aircraft to be as close as 3,900 feet laterally and 100 feet vertically.
Finally, on Thursday, April 10, 2025, two American Eagle flights, Flight 5490 operated by PSA Airlines and Flight 4522 operated by Republic Airways, made contact on a DCA taxiway. Together these planes were transporting a total of 143 passengers to Charleston International Airport (CHS) in South Carolina and John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) in New York. Thankfully, there were no reported injuries and both aircraft safely returned to the terminal and were taken out of service for inspection. However, this event is yet another in a growing pattern of concerning incidents at this congested airport.
Given these significant ongoing issues at DCA, we call for the FAA to take the following actions:
In addition to the above actions, the FAA should ensure it is conducting a comprehensive analysis reviewing issues that may not currently be within the scope of the existing DCA SRMP. We urge you to either extend the scope and timeline for the existing DCA SRMP or conduct a separate review to sufficiently examine the following factors pertaining to DCA and its surrounding airspace:
While it may take time for the NTSB to determine the causes of the tragic January 29 midair collision over the Potomac, we can act now to ensure safer skies for the flying public. Thank you for your immediate attention to this matter.
Sincerely,
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