A hotline between the Pentagon and DCA airport hasn't worked since 2022, FAA says

A Black Hawk chopper approaches for landing astatine the Pentagon successful July 2024. Alex Brandon/AP hide caption

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Alex Brandon/AP

A hotline that provided nonstop connection betwixt the Pentagon and the aerial postulation power operation astatine Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport has not functioned since March 2022, a Federal Aviation Administration authoritative confirmed Wednesday.

The nationalist acknowledgment came during a proceeding of the Senate Commerce Committee, erstwhile Republican Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas asked FAA officials astir the deadly January collision betwixt an Army Black Hawk chopper and an American Airlines determination pitchy that was approaching the airdrome for landing. Sixty-seven radical were killed successful that crash.

Franklin J. McIntosh, the FAA's lawman main operating officer, said the bureau didn't cognize astatine the clip of the mishap that the hotline wasn't functioning.

"We were not aware, but we became alert aft that event, and present that we became alert of that lawsuit we're insisting upon that enactment to beryllium fixed earlier we resume immoderate operations retired of the Pentagon," helium said.

The FAA said successful a connection to NPR that a "dedicated, nonstop entree line" betwixt the airdrome and the Pentagon's Army Heliport "has been retired since 2022 owed to the operation of a caller operation astatine the Pentagon. The 2 facilities proceed to pass via telephone for coordination."

The Army did not respond to requests for comment.

An Army portion halted grooming flights successful the National Capital Region — which includes Washington, D.C., and adjacent areas successful Maryland and Virginia — connected May 5, little than 2 weeks aft it had resumed flights again pursuing a intermission successful effect to the January crash.

That determination came aft 2 commercialized craft had to abort their landings astatine DCA connected May 1, due to the fact that an Army chopper connected a grooming ngo had gotten excessively adjacent to their formation path.

Margaret Wallace, a Florida Institute of Technology prof who teaches aerial postulation control, said it's communal for aerial postulation power facilities to person hotlines to different captious offices, specified arsenic upwind agencies, authorities buildings and subject facilities.

"You conscionable propulsion a button, and it straight rings to that installation oregon that bureau that they request to coordinate with," she said.

Wallace, who was besides an aerial postulation controller successful the U.S. Air Force, said hotlines tin beryllium utile to pass with radical who aren't connected the vigor communications that controllers use. "Maybe it's the commandant astatine an Air Force base. He's not sitting determination listening to radios, but it's a nonstop enactment to him. Or a nonstop enactment to the White House," she said.

In the proceeding Wednesday, erstwhile Cruz asked erstwhile the hotline would beryllium moving again, McIntosh said helium expects the Defense Department to "expedite that timeline truthful they tin statesman their operations."