By David Shepardson
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said on Wednesday he is reconsidering rules that allowed air traffic control supervisors to reduce staffing at Washington’s Reagan National Airport before a fatal Army helicopter-plane collision that killed 67 people last week.
Duffy, who also said he spoke to Trump adviser Elon Musk on Tuesday about airspace reform issues, questioned the military’s flying of helicopter flights near congested Reagan National Airport.
“If we have generals who are flying in helicopters for convenience through this airspace, that’s not acceptable. Get a damn Suburban and drive – you don’t need to take a helicopter,” Duffy said in a speech in Washington.
The Black Hawk helicopter was on a training mission and the pilot may have been wearing night vision goggles.
“We also have to look at (military) missions that have flown the DC airspace,” Duffy said. “We’re going to hopefully find this out, but if they had night vision goggles on a mission like that at nine o’clock at night and not at 1 a.m. – it is unacceptable.”
He noted the helicopter was flying at 300 feet (91.4 m) – above the maximum 200 feet for that route. “We have to take a real look at the safety around this airspace … We can fly training missions at a different time of night.”
In the aftermath of the crash, the FAA has imposed significant restrictions on helicopter flights around Reagan National Airport until at least late February.
Duffy noted that before the crash, two air traffic control positions were consolidated for helicopters and aircraft.
“We’re going to pull that authority back to make sure that we have the right policies in place inside our towers to make sure when you fly you’re safe,” Duffy said.
Duffy also plans to announce in the coming days steps to surge more air traffic control training and applicants. The FAA is about 3,000 controllers short of staffing levels and nearly all control towers have staffing issues.
“It’s going to take us time to get more air traffic controllers,” Duffy said.
Duffy noted the FAA is using antiquated technology to oversee flights.
“We’re going to upgrade it and make sure that America has the most innovative, technologically advanced air system, air traffic control system that’s going to make it safer,” Duffy said.
(Reporting by David Shepardson; Editing by Marguerita Choy; Editing by Marguerita Choy)
