Amo, Beyer, Subramanyam Lead Bipartisan Request for an Independent Review of DCA Airspace in Transportation Funding Bill
Washington, D.C. – Today, Representatives Suhas Subramanyam (D-VA-10), Don Beyer (D-VA-8), and Gabe Amo (D-RI-1) led 16 of their colleagues in requesting that the Department of Transportation (DOT) facilitate an independent review of Washington, DC airspace as part of the Appropriations Committee’s Fiscal Year 2026 transportation funding bill. Such a review is warranted following the collision that occurred between an Army UH-60L Black Hawk helicopter and American Airlines Flight 5342 near Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA) on January 29, 2025 that resulted in the deaths of sixty-seven individuals. The request asks for the review to be conducted by an independent panel and that the results of that review be released and made available to Congress.
“We’re deeply grateful to Congressmen Subramanyam, Beyer, and Amo, along with their colleagues, for advancing this bipartisan request to help ensure DCA is safer for the public. Our family group developed this independent review of DCA as one of our seven reform priorities because we believe that public trust can only be rebuilt through transparency, accountability, and a willingness to learn from the systemic failures that led to the January 29 crash,” said Families of Flight 5342, a group formed by family members of those lost aboard Flight 5342 to advance aviation safety reform. “We strongly urge the Subcommittee to adopt this request. It represents a critical step in the broader effort to honor the loved ones we lost and make our skies safer for all.”
The members highlighted that the airspace above and around our nation's capital is highly complex, with large volumes of commercial, law enforcement, and military aircraft operating in close proximity. DCA has the busiest runway in the country, and the members specifically requested that the review evaluate DCA’s current total flight volume.
They emphasized that the review should be conducted by an independent panel of experts in aviation safety, airspace operations, and civil-military coordination selected by the Department of Transportation in consultation with the National Transportation Safety Board, and the relevant congressional committees.
Their request asked the review assess: historical and ongoing risks associated with DCA airspace design and usage, including historical incidents relevant to current protocols and whether DCA's current flight volume exceeds the airport's operational capabilities within normal operating hours; the adequacy of coordination protocols between the FAA, Department of Defense, and other entities involved in or affected by airspace coordination; patterns of near-miss incidents involving military aircraft; and structural, cultural, or procedural barriers to risk identification and accountability.
In the letter, the Members wrote: “While the National Transportation Safety Board's (NTSB) investigation into the collision is ongoing, there are other sources of expertise that can contribute to the safety of this airspace, military service members, and the traveling public. We believe that an independent review of the airspace, coordination between civil and military air traffic, and operational safety, including whether DCA's current total flight volume exceeds the airport's operational capabilities within normal operating hours, could provide valuable insight to Congress and the relevant federal agencies as they develop policies to improve airspace safety.”
The panel’s findings and recommendations would be required to be published online and shared with the relevant congressional committees within 180 days of the panel’s formation.
The letter was signed by Ranking Member of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Rick Larsen as well as Reps. André Carson, Sharice L. Davids, Cleo Fields, Steny H. Hoyer, Glenn Ivey, John B. Larson, Seth Magaziner, Jennifer L. McClellan, Seth Moulton, Eleanor Holmes Norton, Jamie Raskin, Shri Thanedar, William Timmons, Jill Tokuda, and Paul Tonko.
The letter can be read and downloaded here.
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