For the Federal Aviation Administration, January 29th was the beginning of one of the most challenging stretches they have faced in decades.
That night, American Airlines' regional jet collided with an Army helicopter near Ronald Reagan National Airport in Washington, resulting in 67 deaths. At a press conference the next day, President Trump pointed his finger at the FAA, despite the investigation into the crash just beginning.
On January 31st, the medical jet crashed in a Philadelphia neighborhood shortly after takeoff, killing all six and one on the ground. It remains unclear whether the lack of FAA surveillance contributed to the episode, but the timing raised concerns.
In addition to agency issues, the air warning system was shut down on February 1st for the first time in two years.
The 10-day crisis period was concluded by another fatal crash on February 6th.
As the incident unfolded, the FAA disruption grew in relation to the future of air traffic controllers, particularly whether they are exempt from federal employment cuts.
Less than a month after Trump's new administration, crashes, equipment malfunctions and fatalities have raised deep concerns about US airspace safety. The crashes can ultimately be at least partially due to pilot errors, dangerous conditions, or both, but their quick inheritance and recent system outages have still shown awkward problems Masu. Can the FAA still keep air travel safe?
“It was a tough stretch for the FAA,” said Jeff Gutsetti, former accident investigator for the agency and the National Transportation Safety Board. “Whether it's fair or not, they're in the white hot spotlight for these events. There's no doubt about that.”
Current and former FAA and NTSB officials say the spurts in aviation incidents highlight the agency's slowness in dealing with safety concerns and its complacentness. Despite requests from Congress, each recent episode has occurred, but addressing the near miss pattern, modernizing critical systems, and the safety of Alaska, where planes are the main travel mode of travel for many communities has been improved.
Safety experts argue that despite its reputation as the top global aviation regulator, the FAA failed to act on known issues as it lasted a long period without many deathly crashes. Last month, an air collision across the Potomac River became the most fatal crash since Corgan's air flight fell near Buffalo in 2009, killing 50 people. The FAA has earned the nickname “The Tombstone Agency” among aviation safety advocates who have not addressed potential issues until a disaster occurs.
“We are pleased to announce that John Goglier, an independent safety consultant and former NTSB Board member, said:
Aviation episodes have been on the rise in recent years, he cited the death of an airline worker who was pulled by an aircraft at the tarmac at Charlotte Douglas International Airport on January 27, Goglia said that the aircraft cut out each He also said he pointed out recent instances involved. Others on the runway.
Transport Secretary Sean Duffy refused to respond to a request for an interview from the New York Times. Duffy, who appeared on Fox Business last week, said it was a “hard week of aviation” given the three incidents, adding that he is committed to updating the FAA technology.
“I think there have been some mistakes in the past about how aviation safety looks, how we use airspace, and how we have made it,” Fox Business said. “We will see that progress and make sure there is a system that keeps travelers safe.”
The most pointed discussion of the necessary changes concerns the air transport controller system. The air traffic controller system monitors and tracks flights to ensure safe traverse from takeoff to landing.
Last week, Trump said he would talk to Congress about laws aimed at overhauling the aging aviation safety infrastructure in the country where air traffic controllers rely on. He said the American Airlines crash could have been avoided with updated technology.
Elon Musk's cost-cutting initiative, the so-called Government Efficiency Bureau, will also participate in efforts to improve the FAA technology, at Duffy's request. Musk's involvement could lead to the modernization that government agencies have needed for years, but neither he nor Trump has outlined a clear timeline or plan.
A report issued in September by the US Government's Accountability Office, a watchdog, shows that 58 FAA systems essential to the safety and efficiency of the country's airspace are in an unsustainable or potentially unsustainable state. He said.
Trump, who made things worse for the tormented FAA, appears to have at least some responsibility hours after American Airlines fell, with air traffic controller standards being made by his democratic predecessor He said it was too loose due to pushed diversity efforts.
“Incompetence may have played a role,” Trump told reporters on Jan. 30. “We'll let you know that, but we want the most capable people. We don't care what race they are. We're the most capable People, especially those positions, I want them.”
On the same day, all FAA employees, including air traffic controllers, sent emails from Trump's Human Resources Bureau, repeating messages from the beginning of the week. The message urged them to resign, saying they were “low-productive jobs.” A few days later, Duffy said the controller was exempt from the offer.
The Times previously reported that over 90% of the 313 air traffic control facilities in the United States operate below the FAA recommended staffing level. The agency's forecasts show that current efforts to hire and train new controllers are expected to be insufficient in demand.
Joe Jacobsen, an aerospace engineer and former FAA employee, said the crash, job status and Trump's criticism proved to be a major blow to the agency.
“When there's a crash, it's always moraleful,” he said. “All kinds of commentary about the FAA and its qualifications will hit a huge morale.”
The NTSB and the FAA have investigated three recent crashes, with no official cause being made public. The safety of air travel in Alaska, where 82% of the community is not accessible by road, has long been a concern, especially as extreme weather conditions are so common in the state.
In February 2020, the NTSB issued a report calling for a more comprehensive approach to state aviation safety. A few months later, the FAA held the Alaska Air Safety Summit. When Congress passed the bill to reapprove the FAA last year, it included $25 million in annual funds by 2028, and continued the initiative and enacted Alaska by 2030. The agency has designated additional safety measures.
Safety concerns go beyond the state's people alone.
The FAA has been engaged in years of efforts to modernize aviation alert systems and other technologies, but progress has been slow and outdated equipment has influenced current travel. The 2023 outage marked the first nationwide grounding of a flight since the September 11, 2001 terrorist attack.
Billy Nolen, then-representative at the FAA, was convinced in 2023 that the agency would need to require a wake-up call after several instances of the commercial jet collided. He asked the independent review team to develop recommendations for improving safety.
In a 52-page report published in November 2023, the group condemned the FAA shortage for growing the country's airspace risks “to an unsustainable level.” Many of their recommendations were not new. They reflected the unmet safety proposal that the NTSB had previously requested along with the GAO and Congress, but never implemented by the FAA.
Report recommendations include increased training capabilities at FAA Academy, helping with a shortage of air traffic controllers, modernizing technology, changing agency culture, and exacerbating concerns and leading to disasters. Concerns have been addressed before.
“We as an entity and it is all the stakeholders and we can never rest on our records,” Noren said in an interview.
