DMV Lawmakers Call on Department of Transportation, Army to Investigate Deadly January 29th Plane Crash

WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Sens. Mark R. Warner (D-VA), Tim Kaine (D-VA), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), and Angela Alsobrooks (D-MD) joined by U.S. Reps. Don Beyer (D-VA-08), Sarah Elfreth (D-MD-03), Glenn Ivey (D-MD-04), Jennifer McClellan (D-VA-04), Suhas Subramanyam (D-VA-10), and Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC) wrote to the Inspectors General (IGs) of the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) and the U.S. Army pushing for respective investigations into Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and Army policies and procedures that may have contributed to the January 29, 2025 mid-air collision at Ronald Reagan National Airport that took 67 lives.
In their letters the lawmakers highlighted the need for a deeper investigation into potential organizational failures that may have contributed to the tragedy.
To the Department of Transportation, the lawmakers wrote,“Any lapses in internal accountability, interagency coordination, and safety oversight must be uncovered and addressed swiftly for the families of those lost that day, for the safety of the flying public and residents of the National Capital Region, and for the integrity of the National Airspace System.”
In their letter to the DOT, the lawmakers requested an investigation into:
To the U.S. Army, they wrote,“While the National Transportation Safety Board is investigating the immediate actual and proximate causes of the January 29, 2025 DCA aviation incident, the Department of the Army Inspector General has the authority to uncover the deeper institutional failures that enabled this tragedy. Emerging evidence points to longstanding lapses in internal accountability, safety oversight, safety culture, and interagency coordination.”
Additionally, the lawmakers requested that the Army investigate the following:
Sens. Warner and Kaine have been closely involved with the in the investigation of the January 29th collision,meeting with first respondersandoffering condolencesto the families and loved ones of the 67 lives lost immediately following the tragedy. Last week, Sens. Warner and Kaineintroducedcomprehensive aviation safety legislation in response to the tragic mid-air collision. The senators also saw throughpassage of a legislationto remember the victims of the crash. Sens. Warner and Kainealso requestedanswers from FAA on its plans to protect the flying public in the wake of the January 29 collision. In March of this year, the senatorsrespondedto the preliminary National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) report on the crash. The senators have also sounded the alarm for years about the need for increased safety for the flying public, including fighting againstadditional flights out of DCAthat contribute to overcrowding.
A copy of the letter to the DOT is availablehere. A copy of the letter to the Army is availablehere.
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