The U.S. House of Representatives on Wednesday passed an annual defense bill containing a provision to allow military helicopters to once again fly in the airspace at Reagan National Airport. The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) and several key lawmakers have strongly opposed the legislation.
The National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2026 (NDAA) outlines policies and funding for the Department of Defense. According to NTSB Chair Jennifer Homendy, Section 373 of the NDAA would allow the military “unfettered access” to DCA’s airspace. It would allow the military to conduct training missions in DC’s airspace without “key safety reforms” that were put in place after a mid-air collision in January killed 67 people.
Homendy called this move a “significant, significant safety step back,” and said that the NTSB “vehemently” opposes it.
“It represents an unacceptable risk to the flying public, to commercial and military aircraft crews, and to the residents in the region,” Homendy said. “It’s also an unthinkable dismissal of our investigation and to 67 families who lost loved ones in a tragedy that was entirely preventable.”
Homendy said that the NTSB was not consulted about the inclusion of this section. The bill will go to the Senate by next week.
Lawmakers and Families Respond
Leaders of the U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation — Sens. Ted Cruz, Maria Cantwell, Jerry Moran, and Tammy Duckworth — criticized the bill.
The senators said the NDAA “fails to make the skies safer,” at a time when “Pentagon data shows a spike in military aircraft accidents since 2020.”
The families of Flight 5342 victims also released a joint statement. They urged Congress to “strengthen Section 373 by requiring real, enforceable visibility standards for all military aircraft operating near civilian traffic.”
“Section 373 does not resolve the visibility and coordination failures that contributed to the tragedy. As written, it leaves the status quo largely unchanged,” the families wrote.
Local lawmakers have spoken out as well, including Sen. Mark Warner. “After what happened in January, it’s clear that we cannot rely on the DoD alone to be the safety authority over its flights in this area and that we need more, not less, oversight to prevent another tragedy from ever occurring again,” Warner said.
DC Mayor Muriel Bowser urged Congress to strike Section 373 and to “follow the recommendations of safety experts.”
Feature image, stock.adobe.com
