FAA vows not to "go back" on DCA safety measures as lawmakers question NDAA exemptions
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Summary
In a hearing focused on the January DCA mid‑air collision, Administrator Bedford said the FAA will maintain post‑crash mitigations and that the agency was not consulted on an NDAA provision some members say would reintroduce operational exceptions near DCA.
Lawmakers used the Subcommittee's first FAA oversight hearing of the year to press the agency about safety changes after the January mid‑air collision near Reagan National Airport that killed 67 people.
Administrator Bedford opened by acknowledging the tragedy and listing immediate safety actions the FAA took: permanently restricting nonessential helicopter operations near DCA, closing certain helicopter routes, eliminating some visual‑separation procedures, and requiring ADS‑B Out broadcasts in much of the Capital Region's airspace. "Our mission is simple but critical, to protect pilots, flight attendants, and the traveling public," Bedford said in his opening remarks.
Chairman Nells asked whether section 373 of the National Defense Authorization Act, which members said could preserve operational exceptions for military flights, raised safety concerns. Bedford said FAA policy limits commenting on pending legislation but told the panel the FAA had not been consulted on that provision and pledged that "as long as I'm administrator... we are not going to go back" to pre‑January 29 operating practices that increased risk.
Rep. Norton, who represents Washington, D.C., said she had pressed earlier for mandatory transponder/ADS‑B operation for helicopters in the DCA area and asked whether the FAA supports such a requirement. Bedford reiterated it is not customary for the agency to take a legislative position while a bill is pending but said the FAA will continue its stricter mitigations and noted the agency's work to form an aircraft noise advisory committee and other steps directed by last year's reauthorization.
Members also sought clarification about military operations, memoranda of agreement, and whether the FAA can close the exemptions that critics say contributed to the collision. Bedford said the military had been cooperative in implementing the new restrictions and that the FAA is renegotiating operating agreements to sustain the mitigations.
The committee asked for follow‑up technical consultations and for FAA staff to provide any requested data the members had previously sought regarding exemptions and airspace monitoring.