FAA Admits Oversight Failures in Fatal DC Plane Crash

During a Senate hearing, FAA Acting Administrator Chris Rocheleau acknowledged that critical oversights contributed to the fatal midair collision between an American Airlines jet and an Army helicopter over the Potomac River that killed 67 people in January. Senators criticized the FAA for failing to act on a pattern of 85 close calls reported in the three years leading up to the crash, with NTSB Chair Jennifer Homendy highlighting over 15,000 near-miss incidents in the same timeframe. Rocheleau emphasized the need for better data utilization and announced the implementation of new transponder requirements for aircraft operating near Reagan National Airport. Lawmakers expressed frustration over the agency's delayed response to the evident dangers in the congested airspace. The NTSB's preliminary report branded the frequency of near-misses as an