In wake of the January crash near Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport that killed 67 people, leaders of a House Oversight and Government Reform subcommittee are launching a bipartisan investigation into the military use of Washington-area air space.
In a letter to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, Reps. William Timmons (R-S.C.) and Suhas Subramanyam (D-Va.) — the chair and ranking member of the subcommittee on military and foreign affairs, respectively — requested a member-level briefing no later than April 1 on the potential operational failures that led to the Jan. 29 collision between a U.S. Army Black Hawk helicopter and a commercial passenger airplane.
They are specifically asking for information about the potential risks of the heavy air traffic in the U.S. Capitol region, the “procedural or regulatory issues” that may have contributed to the January incident and any changes by the Defense Department to prevent such an incident from reoccurring.
The airport is a frequent and favorite hub for lawmakers traveling to and from their respective states.
