The American Airlines plane landed at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA) in Arlington, Virginia, USA after a salvage barge with a crane was placed near a crash along the Potomac River, and passenger jets collided with a helicopter. , Sunday, February 2nd, 2025, USA.
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U.S. Transport Secretary Sean Duffy has been with SpaceX Elon Musk’s Trump administration adviser and CEO of SpaceX Elon Musk on the use of helicopter troops in crowded airspaces in Washington, DC, following the fatal collision last week. He said he spoke.
“I had a conversation with Elon Musk yesterday. He’s a pretty notable guy. He thinks unlike what most of us think is probably the case, but he’s the best technical people, the world. You have access to the best engineers,” Duffy said Wednesday. Road transport event in Washington. “We’re going to rebuild the airspace and we’re going to do it quickly.”
Duffy’s comments come a week after the Army Black Hawk helicopter collided American Airlines A jet liner in the area where Ronald Reagan landed at Washington National Airport. All 64 American Flight members and three Black Hawk military crews who were participating in the training mission were killed. It has been the most fatal airline accident in the United States since 2001.
Trump has entrusted Musk to run so-called government efficiency that has been accessed to data such as the Treasury payment system. Musk did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
SpaceX, along with other space companies, shares airspace with commercial planes. The FAA, which oversees US airspace, also oversees SpaceX, Musk. Musk threatened to sue the FAA last year for “overregulation” when its agents failed to approve SpaceX’s launch license to promptly request.
Last month, the spacecraft rocket suffered an onboard failure, causing rain to fall near the Caribbean Islands, and dozens of commercial flights were detoured and delayed to avoid the area.
For many years, US airline executives have sought additional funds to modernize the US air traffic control system and additional employment of air traffic controllers to curb the long-standing shortages.
Duffy did not elaborate on any potential changes to US airspace management.
Duffy said one air traffic controller was handling both the plane and helicopter traffic in the event of a crash and “see the policies and procedures within the tower.”
“We will pull that authority back and make sure that there is proper policy in place within the tower and make sure you are safe when you fly,” he said.
Duffy said authorities should consider the safety of carrying out military training missions at night.
“And if there’s a general flying in helicopters through this airspace for convenience, that’s not acceptable,” he said. “You should enter the damn suburbs and drive. You don’t need to take a helicopter.”
The US military did not immediately comment. The pentagon declined to comment.
The National Traffic Safety Commission, which led the investigation into last week’s crash, is still investigating the cause of the fatal crash.
-CNBC’s Michael Sheetz contributed to this report.
