The deadly mid-air collision earlier this year between an Army Black Hawk helicopter and an American Airlines regional jet over Washington, D.C., exposed a longstanding and dangerous safety hazard that has existed for years: the perilous proximity of civilian and military flight paths in restricted airspace near Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport.
More than six months after the disaster killed 67 people, it's clear the issue isn't just confined to our nation's capital. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has identified similar risks at airports in Las Vegas and Los Angeles and is conducting a broad analysis of other so-called hotspot airports, where commercial jets, helicopters, and other aircraft routinely operate in close quarters.
Now more than ever it's clear that the policies and procedures for mixed air traffic in congested airspaces require immediate attention from Congress, as outlined in the NTSB's urgent safety recommendations issued earlier this year.
Read more in ALPA President Capt. Jason Ambrosi's op-ed in Newsweek.
