Editorial: A Tragic Spotlight on Reagan Airport
By • February 11, 2025 0 209
Washington, D.C., is a unique city for many reasons, one being its prominence as a government and military hub. The growing, conflicting demands on close-in airspace were tragically brought home on Jan. 29, when American Airlines Flight 5342, preparing to land at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, collided in midair with a Black Hawk helicopter over the Potomac River.
All 64 people on the plane and three on the helicopter were killed in the first major U.S. crash of a commercial passenger flight since 2009. Our thoughts are with the victims and their families.
The horrifying incident called attention to Reagan Airport’s unusually short runways, which intersect, and the increasing pressure on its limited capacity.
With typical knee-jerk speed, President Donald Trump blamed the Federal Aviation Administration’s DEI (Diversity, Equity and Inclusion) policies for the crash. The key issues, however, are the airport’s extremely tight airspace, requiring helicopters to fly along specified routes at specified altitudes to avoid commercial, private and official flights, and the air traffic control system’s chronic staff shortage.
The National Transportation Safety Board’s preliminary findings were that AA 5342, seconds from landing, and the Black Hawk helicopter were both flying 300 feet above the Potomac. That height is 100 feet over the authorized altitude for helicopters near Reagan Airport. Some experts have theorized that the helicopter crew could have mistaken another commercial plane for Flight 5342.
All things considered, we certainly shouldn’t be blaming DEI initiatives for this heartbreaking accident. Some clear takeaways: It’s time to hire more air traffic controllers and time to make changes to reduce air traffic congestion in and around D.C. Just 12 hours after the crash, the FAA restricted helicopter access near the doomed Black Hawk’s final path in the hope of avoiding another tragedy.
