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WASHINGTON () The complex airspace around Washington, D.C., has resulted in at least three near misses in the last three years.
As authorities piece together the nation’s deadliest U.S. airline crash since 2001, the tragedy has raised new concerns about the specific dangers at Reagan National Airport. Experts and some lawmakers said they are concerned the airspace is about to get more congested in the wake of Congress’ decision last year to ease restrictions that had limited the airport to nonstop flights within 1,250 miles of Washington, with few exceptions.
Three near misses
- April 2024: Passenger jet and helicopter
- Dec. 2023: Passenger jet and drone
- Oct. 2022: Passenger jet and helicopter
Senator’s warning
During a speech on the Senate floor last May, U.S. Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va., warned of further increasing traffic in and out of the D.C. airport.
“It is a problem waiting to happen,” he said. “And I’ve described this near accident in the last two weeks as a flashing red warning signal to Congress: Please do not add more flights, don’t jam more flights into the busiest runway in the United States.”
The flight that crashed Wednesday, however, was not part of the expansion. It was added by American Airlines in January of last year amid a push by Kansas lawmakers for more service between Reagan National and Wichita.
Just over 24 hours before Wednesday’s fatal collision, a different regional jet had to go around for a second chance at landing at Reagan National after it was advised about a military helicopter nearby, according to flight tracking sites and control logs. It landed safely minutes later.
