FAA faces scrutiny over staffing after fatal midair collision at Reagan National

Clark Allen, who served as Reagan’s Operations Manager in January, told investigators that assigning both responsibilities to one controller would require them to create “a whole plan for the airspace.” The NTSB is examining if this decision played a part in causing the accident.

Testimony during the NTSB hearing revealed that concerns about operational safety at Reagan National had been raised well before January's collision. James Jarvis, a compliance auditor with FAA contractor Leidos, said he repeatedly recommended adding more staff between 2017 and 2023 but was told to “quit bringing it up.” Jarvis also noted a lack of experienced personnel at the tower and said many controllers needed close supervision. As reported by USA Today (https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2025/07/31/faa-ntsb-hearing-dca-midair-collision/74185260007/), FAA officials testified that air traffic controllers at DCA often had to “make it work” despite limited resources. NTSB investigator Brian Soper made similar observations when speaking with controllers.

Preliminary findings from NTSB indicated that FAA was aware of several ongoing risks prior to the crash—including congestion in airspace, conflicts with military flight paths, and persistent shortages of air traffic controllers—but did not address these issues. Board Chair Jennifer Homendy told FAA officials during hearings that suggestions for changing helicopter flight paths had gone unaddressed despite clear indications of risk: “Every sign was there that there was a safety risk, and the tower was telling you,” Homendy said.

The NTSB also found new information indicating that ATC saw the Black Hawk UH-60's altitude as 300 feet during its approach.

In response to pressure from investigators and lawmakers following January’s collision, FAA has implemented changes at Washington National Airport aimed at improving safety. These include assigning a dedicated controller for all helicopter operations near Reagan National and increasing supervisor staffing from six to eight at the tower. The agency has also imposed permanent restrictions on non-essential helicopter activity around DCA—closing Route 4 between Hains Point and Wilson Bridge—and eliminating mixed helicopter and fixed-wing traffic in affected areas. Urgent missions such as medical or law enforcement flights are now allowed only under strict separation rules.