Warner, Kaine Statement on the Army’s Report Into DCA Midair Collision

WASHINGTON – U.S. Sens. Mark R. Warner and Tim Kaine (both D-VA) released the following statement on the Army’s report into the January 2025 midair collision near Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA) that killed all 67 people aboard both aircraft: “The Army’s report underscores the need for comprehensive aviation safety legislation that modernizes our air traffic control systems, improves aircraft visibility and collision-avoidance technology, and strengthens coordination between military and civilian aviation authorities. The Army’s report reveals troubling gaps in coordination between military flights and the FAA in the most congested airspace in the country – airspace Congress jammed even more flights into over our repeated objections. It also identified inadequate equipment used by the helicopter to communicate with the DCA tower and transmit its position to surrounding aircraft. “It is clear – following the release of this report and an earlier report released by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) – that systemic and organizational failures, compounded by limitations in aircraft equipment and safety technology, were significant contributors to the tragic accident near DCA that claimed 67 lives. We owe it to the families who lost loved ones that night, and to all Americans who fly in our airspace, to take action to prevent another tragedy, including improved technology requirements and reduced traffic at DCA.” Sens. Warner and Kaine have been closely involved in the response to and investigation of the January 29 collision near DCA. In the immediate aftermath of the tragedy, the senators met with first responders , offered condolences to the victims’ families and loved ones, and secured passage of a resolution honoring those who lost their lives. In February, the senators responded to the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) final report on the crash and have continued pushing for reforms to prevent another tragedy. The senators supported the Rotorcraft Operations Transparency and Reform (ROTOR) Act , legislation to strengthen aviation safety at DCA and similarly sized airports and improve coordination between the FAA and Department of Defense. In September, the senators introduced the DCA Air Safety Act to address longstanding safety concerns by capping hourly arrivals, reducing the clustering of flights, and removing 30 slots at DCA. Even before the January 2025 collision, the senators consistently sounded the alarm about hazardous overcrowding in DCA’s airspace and called on Congress to reduce the number of slots at DCA. ###