The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) released a preliminary report Tuesday on its investigation into the horrific crash between an American Airlines jet and an Army helicopter near Reagan National Airport (DCA) in January. In conjunction with that report the NTSB issued a second report “urg[ing] the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to take immediate action on the safety recommendations … concerning the potential for midair collisions” between helicopters and passenger planes on taking off or landing at DCA.
According to the Aviation Investigation Report (emphasis added):
“Existing separation distances between helicopter traffic operating on Route 4 and aircraft landing on runway 33 are insufficient and pose an intolerable risk to aviation safety by increasing the chances of a midair collision.”
Because of that, the NTSB detailed two urgent…
