The United States House Oversight Committee has announced that it will open an investigation into the military’s use of airspace over Washington D.C., more than a month after a commercial airline collided with a military helicopter.
The committee shared the news in a press release on Thursday, noting that Subcommittee on Military and Foreign Affairs Chairman William Timmons (R-S.C.) and Ranking Member Suhas Subramanyam (D-VA) were leading the investigation.
In the announcement, the subcommittee shared that the investigation is a response to the mid-air collision that saw 67 people lose their lives when a Black Hawk helicopter and American Airlines flight 5342 collided near Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport at the end of January.
“Washington, D.C.’s airspace is among the most complex and heavily regulated in the nation. DCA operates within the tightly controlled Flight Restricted Zone (FRZ), making it one of the busiest and most sensitive airspaces in the country,” lawmakers wrote in a letter to Department of Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. “DoD plays a critical role in managing and securing this airspace, with military aircraft frequently conducting operations in and around the National Capital Region.”
The letter also requested a member-level briefing on what happened around the collision and how the military is responding to the accident to ensure it doesn’t happen again.
While the January collision is the most recent and still on the minds of many Americans, it’s not the only dangerous accident to take place.
According to data from the FAA, since 1987, there have been 30 near-midair collisions, with a third of them involving military aircraft and seven including helicopters.
While the investigation into the January accident continues, more information has come out about what potentially caused the collision.
According to the committee, potential miscommunication with the helicopter’s pilots and the use of night vision goggles are both believed to have played a part.
“As authorities continue to assess the circumstances of the incident, it will be critical to identify any contributing factors and ensure mitigation measures are implemented to enhance future airspace safety,” continued the lawmakers. “To assist with the Committee’s oversight of this matter, we request a Member-level briefing as soon as possible but no later than April 1, 2025.”