FAA Requires Aircraft To Activate ADS-B At Reagan National Airport
During a Senate hearing on Thursday, the FAA announced it will require aircraft operating at Reagan National Airport to activate ADS-B.
FAA Acting Administrator Chris Rocheleau announced that the agency will require most aircraft operating around Ronald Reagan National Airport to have ADS-B technology activated.
Rocheleau made the announcement during a Senate hearing on Thursday morning, where he, along with NTSB Chair Jennifer Homendy and Director of Army Aviation Gen. Matthew Braman, fielded questions surrounding the deadly crash between a passenger jet and a Black Hawk helicopter earlier this year that killed 67.
The NTSB’s preliminary report indicated that close calls between commercial aircraft and helicopters at DCA have been frequent, with more than 15,000 incidents reported in recent years. It was also mentioned that the Black Hawk helicopter had not transmitted ADS-B Out data for 730 days before the crash, suggesting a technical malfunction.
During the hearing, Braman admitted that some flights are conducted with ADS-B Out disabled, but he later stated that the military would adhere to the FAA’s directive saying, “The Army operates 100% under FAA authority.”
Meanwhile, the FAA said the new ADS-B rule would only apply to Ronald Reagan National Airport for the time being.
