Plane Carrying Members of Congress Involved in Runway Collision in DC

An American Eagle pitchy acceptable to permission Washington, D.C. for New York connected Thursday day clipped wings with different craft connected the runway astatine Ronald Reagan National Airport. One of the planes had astatine slightest 7 members of Congress connected board, according to a report from NBC News. No injuries were reported arsenic a effect of the incident, and some planes were capable to instrumentality to the terminal for inspection, according to a connection from American Airlines given to the BBC.

The 2 flights progressive successful the grounded collision were American Eagle formation 5490, operated by PSA Airlines, headed to Charleston International Airport successful South Carolina, and the Republic Airways-operated American Eagle formation 4522, which was headed to JFK International Airport successful New York with members of Congress connected board. The wingtip of Flight 5490 struck Flight 4522 connected the runway astir 12:45pm section time.

According to American Airlines, determination were 67 passengers connected committee the formation headed to Charleston and 76 connected the formation to New York. The second included Democratic Representatives Gregory Meeks, Grace Meng, Josh Gottheimer, Adriano Espaillat, and Ritchie Torres and Republican Nick LaLota, each of whom person been confirmed to beryllium connected board. Meeks posted that 7 members of Congress successful full were connected the flight.

It’s unclear what led to the collision astatine this stage, and the Federal Aviation Administration said it is investigating. The Trump medication has already insisted that the incidental had thing to bash with staffing cuts oregon shortages astatine the FAA, peculiarly arsenic it relates to aerial postulation controllers. “There person been nary cuts to aerial postulation controllers, information personnel, oregon safety-critical positions astatine the FAA,” the White House’s “official accelerated effect account” posted.

Democratic Representative Gottheimer, who was connected the flight, posted that “Recent cuts to the FAA weaken our skies and nationalist safety,” which prompted the White House’s reply. The Trump medication did successful information occurrence aerial postulation controllers, and Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy admitted “less than 400” were fto go. The medication did prosecute immoderate of those radical back, but seems to stay understaffed.

Just this week, Tim Arel, the caput of the Federal Aviation Administration’s aerial postulation organization, stepped down from his station aft taking the administration’s voluntary deferred status program. Reuters reported that the FAA is astir 3,500 aerial postulation controllers abbreviated of targeted staffing levels.

Notably, a fatal mishap occurred adjacent Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport conscionable 2 months agone erstwhile a commercialized airliner carrying 64 passengers collided with a U.S. Army Black Hawk chopper implicit the Potomac River. That was conscionable 1 of a fig of accidents and adjacent calls that person happened during the archetypal months of the Trump administration.