A malfunctioning hotline connecting military and civilian air traffic controllers may have contributed to a near miss involving U.S. Army helicopters near Washington, D.C. This has raised urgent safety concerns, especially following a previous deadly midair collision earlier in the year. FAA official Frank McIntosh acknowledged the agency was unaware the hotline had been out of service since March 2022 until after the incident. Out of caution, the Army suspended helicopter flights, while the FAA emphasized the need to fix the hotline before flight operations can resume safely.
The hotline's failure may have contributed to a near miss involving U.S. Army helicopters, raising urgent safety concerns for airspace around Washington, D.C.
Sen. Cruz highlighted that the Federal Aviation Administration was unaware of the hotline's failure since March 2022 until after the recent near miss incident.
The Army took voluntary action to cease helicopter flights after the near miss, despite the FAA being close to issuing a stop order due to safety worries.
Frank McIntosh assured the Senate that restoring the hotline is essential before resuming Army helicopter flights around Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport.
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