Broken FAA-Army Hotline Blamed in Near Miss

Broken FAA-Army Hotline Blamed in Near Miss \ Newslooks \ Washington DC \ Mary Sidiqi \ Evening Edition \ A broken communication hotline between FAA and Army controllers, inactive since 2022, may have contributed to a recent near miss near Reagan National Airport. The incident occurred after Army helicopters resumed flights following January’s fatal crash involving a Black Hawk. Lawmakers are demanding accountability and stricter coordination protocols between civilian and military aviation.

Quick Looks

• FAA confirms hotline with Pentagon heliport down since March 2022.
• Hotline failure only discovered after recent near miss in May.
• FAA insists hotline be repaired before flights resume.
• Army suspended flights voluntarily amid pressure from FAA.
• Sen. Ted Cruz and Sen. Tammy Duckworth slam FAA, Army.
• NTSB says 85 near misses occurred near Reagan in 3 years.
• January’s crash killed 67, deadliest since 2001.
• FAA controllers had to abort two landings due to helicopter.
• Army criticized for withholding safety info from Congress.
• Future protocols may include 24-hour notice before Army flights.
• FAA says recent incidents show “safety drift” in procedures.
• Another incident involved military jets nearly colliding with a jetliner.

Deep Look

Broken Hotline and Lapses in Coordination Blamed for New Reagan Airport Airspace Incident

More than three years after a critical communication hotline between military and civilian air traffic controllers went offline, its continued failure has emerged as a central concern in a near miss earlier this month near Washington, D.C.’s Reagan National Airport. The revelation — confirmed during a Senate hearing Wednesday — comes just months after January’s catastrophic midair collision between a passenger jet and an Army Black Hawk helicopter that killed 67 people.

At the Senate Commerce Committee hearing, lawmakers questioned why the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the U.S. Army failed to restore a hotline used for urgent coordination between Reagan Airport’s control tower and the Pentagon’s Army heliport. FAA air traffic executive Frank McIntosh admitted the agency was unaware the line had been down since March 2022 due to Pentagon tower construction.

Though alternative landline communications existed, the FAA has now mandated that the direct hotline be restored before the Army can resume helicopter operations in the sensitive airspace around Reagan — located in one of the most complex and highly regulated air corridors in the country.

Senators Sound Alarms on Safety and Transparency

Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) and Sen. Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.) voiced bipartisan concern over the breakdown in coordination and lack of oversight. Cruz called the developments “extremely concerning,” while Duckworth warned that the continued lack of inter-agency alignment “has put the flying public at risk.”

Following the deadly January crash — the worst U.S. aviation disaster since 2001 — the FAA closed the helicopter route that had intersected with commercial air traffic. However, coordination issues persist. On May 1, two passenger jets were ordered to abort their landings when an Army helicopter was spotted circling near the Pentagon without proper clearance.

“That helicopter should never have been in that airspace,” McIntosh said. “It did not receive permission from an air traffic controller. The real question is why that happened. Without strict compliance, we start to see what we call ‘safety drift.’”

Army Grounded — But Not Before FAA Considered Forcing It

The Army voluntarily suspended all helicopter operations around Reagan after the May near miss. However, McIntosh confirmed the FAA had been preparing to issue an official order grounding Army flights due to mounting safety concerns.

“We did have discussions about whether that was an option we wanted to pursue,” he told senators.

The Army has not publicly addressed the incident or shared specific actions it’s taking to prevent future occurrences. This silence has drawn criticism from aviation safety experts and lawmakers alike.

Army Criticized for Withholding Safety Information

Jeff Guzzetti, a former investigator with the FAA and NTSB, called it “troubling” that the hotline was non-functional for so long without the FAA’s knowledge. He also criticized the Army for being opaque with Congress and the public about safety procedures following January’s crash.

“The airspace over DCA is under a white-hot spotlight,” Guzzetti said. “The Army needs to be more transparent and assertive in how it handles this.”

Some members of Congress have expressed frustration with the Army’s reluctance to answer direct questions in recent hearings. A possible solution being discussed would require the Army to provide 24-hour advance notice for any planned flights around National Airport, though this policy remains under review.

Second Incident Raises Further Alarms

In addition to the May 1 near miss, another concerning incident involved a commercial aircraft departing Reagan coming dangerously close to four military jets en route to a ceremonial flyover at Arlington National Cemetery. McIntosh blamed the mishap on a miscommunication between regional and tower controllers, which he says has since been corrected.

History of Near Misses Around Reagan

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has confirmed that 85 near misses occurred in Reagan’s airspace during the three years leading up to January’s tragedy — a red flag that had not prompted sufficient action. The agency is now investigating the latest incident and reviewing broader systemic issues in D.C.’s airspace management.

Restoring Trust and Communication Channels

FAA officials say the direct line between Reagan controllers and the Pentagon heliport must be re-established before further military flights are permitted. While the FAA insists alternate communication systems remain functional, the hotline’s failure underscores the critical need for immediate and fail-safe connections in congested, security-sensitive airspace.

McIntosh’s remarks made clear that procedural compliance alone is not enough — accountability, transparency, and proactive interagency coordination are also essential to prevent further tragedy.

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