Congressional Dish CD316: The DCA Plane Crash
10 snips
May 19, 2025 
Jennifer Homendy, Chair of the NTSB, joins Frank McIntosh from the FAA and Dean Accapelli from the National Air Traffic Controller Association to discuss a tragic plane crash that killed 67 people. They delve into the complexities of the NTSB’s preliminary investigation and the fallout from air traffic control outages. The conversation highlights serious communication breakdowns at major airports and the urgent need for safety reforms in aviation procedures. Their insights provide a gripping look into the challenges of maintaining air safety.
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FAA's Copper Wiring Problem
- FAA telecommunications network relies heavily on outdated copper wiring responsible for radar communication failures.
- Transition to fiber optic networks is urgently needed and has been warned about for years.
FAA Hiring More Controllers
- The FAA is increasing the number of air traffic controllers aggressively to reduce workload and improve safety.
- Streamlined hiring and salary incentives have led to a surge in applications and new personnel.
Military Flies Helicopters Without ADS-B
- The Army allowed helicopters to fly training missions with ADS-B out turned off, meaning location broadcasts were disabled.
- This policy reduces transparency and compromises aviation safety in sensitive airspace.