Aircraft Carrying Members of Congress Concerned in Runway Collision in DC

An American Eagle jet set to go away Washington, D.C. for New York on Thursday afternoon clipped wings with one other plane on the runway at Ronald Reagan Nationwide Airport. One of many planes had a minimum of seven members of Congress on board, in keeping with a report from NBC News. No accidents have been reported on account of the incident, and each planes have been capable of return to the terminal for inspection, in keeping with a press release from American Airways given to the BBC.

The 2 flights concerned within the grounded collision have been American Eagle flight 5490, operated by PSA Airways, headed to Charleston Worldwide Airport in South Carolina, and the Republic Airways-operated American Eagle flight 4522, which was headed to JFK Worldwide Airport in New York with members of Congress on board. The wingtip of Flight 5490 struck Flight 4522 on the runway round 12:45pm native time.

In line with American Airways, there have been 67 passengers on board the flight headed to Charleston and 76 on the flight to New York. The latter included Democratic Representatives Gregory Meeks, Grace Meng, Josh Gottheimer, Adriano Espaillat, and Ritchie Torres and Republican Nick LaLota, all of whom have been confirmed to be on board. Meeks posted that seven members of Congress in whole have been on the flight.

It’s unclear what led to the collision at this stage, and the Federal Aviation Administration mentioned it’s investigating. The Trump administration has already insisted that the incident had nothing to do with staffing cuts or shortages on the FAA, notably because it pertains to air site visitors controllers. “There have been no cuts to air site visitors controllers, security personnel, or safety-critical positions on the FAA,” the White Home’s “official speedy response account” posted.

Democratic Consultant Gottheimer, who was on the flight, posted that “Latest cuts to the FAA weaken our skies and public security,” which prompted the White Home’s reply. The Trump administration did in fact fire air traffic controllers, and Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy admitted “less than 400” have been let go. The administration did rent a few of these individuals again, however appears to stay understaffed.

Simply this week, Tim Arel, the top of the Federal Aviation Administration’s air site visitors group, stepped down from his put up after taking the administration’s voluntary deferred retirement program. Reuters reported that the FAA is about 3,500 air site visitors controllers wanting focused staffing ranges.

Notably, a deadly accident occurred close to Ronald Reagan Washington Nationwide Airport simply two months in the past when a industrial airliner carrying 64 passengers collided with a U.S. Military Black Hawk helicopter over the Potomac River. That was simply one in all a variety of accidents and shut calls which have occurred throughout the first months of the Trump administration.