In the wake of the near-miss in July 2018, military officials, air traffic controllers, and pilots formed safety groups in light of the persistent air traffic issues around Reagan, according to the Times.
The air traffic controller on duty when the military helicopter collided with the American Airlines jet didn’t use the proper terms when communicating with pilots, former and current controllers told the Times.
The controller also didn’t inform the helicopter pilots, who said they had an aircraft “in sight,” the location of the American Airlines plane relative to the helicopter, leaving open the possibility they could have confused the American Airlines jet with another nearby plane.
Complaints about the air space around Reagan, a shortage of air traffic controllers, and communications issues have persisted for years, reports suggest.
The following year, an internal FAA report obtained by the Times warned that repeated air traffic controller error increased “the risk of a collision and loss of life.” Still, alarming encounters persisted.
