On Wednesday, January 29, tragedy struck as a Black Hawk helicopter operated by the US Army collided with an American Airlines plane, resulting in the deaths of all 67 people on board both vehicles. As an investigation into the mid-air collision continues, officials continue to look into the potential problems that may have led to this tragedy. This includes an examination of broader issues that seem to have contributed to an increase in aviation accidents across the board.

An Increase in Runway Incursions at DCA

One potential sign of problems at the Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA), the airport where the American Airlines flight took off from, was the unusually large number of runway incursions. An incursion refers to any situation where a person, vehicle, or plane is on a runway when they are not supposed to be. While most major airports saw an average increase in incursions between 2022 and 2023 of 21.1%, DCA saw the number of incursions increase from 13 to 21 during that same time period, a more than 60% increase over a single year.

An Unusually High Number of Go-Arounds

Likewise, there are serious problems with the large number of go-arounds at DCA, especially in the past couple of years. A go-around is when a plane in the process of landing is forced to abort the landing and circle back around, which is often a sign of a problem on the ground or some kind of error. On average, airports in 2023 saw .39% of flights needing a go-around, up from .36% the previous year, but DCA saw .80% of flights requiring go-arounds in 2023, which was flat from the previous year.

Near-Misses on the Rise

Another issue of note is the increase in the number of near-misses, where aircraft narrowly avoid collision either on the ground or in the air. In fact, just the day prior to the crash, there was a near-miss at DCA between a military craft and a civilian jet, which was avoided due to a go-around. In fact, according to the FAA, DCA saw at least eight separate near-miss incidents in 2024 alone.

Potential Issues Contributing to Accidents at DCA

There are a number of issues that may contribute to the high likelihood of problems at an airport like DCA, including the risk of a mid-air collision. For one, it is one of the busiest airports in the country, meaning it already needs to handle a substantial number of flights that can be difficult to organize. However, preliminary findings from the FAA found there were additional issues on the day of the accident, including significant understaffing that left air traffic controllers strained and struggling to keep everything in order. There was also an increase in traffic at the airport due to legislation signed last year, which authorized an increase in the number of planes into and out of the airport, despite warnings from safety experts.

What Can Be Done to Prevent Future Accidents

While it might seem simple to just hire more air traffic controllers to address the understaffing issues, it is not that simple. Air traffic control is complex at the best of times, and requires two to three years of training to be able to handle the job on their own. Moreover, there are questions about whether the air traffic control system itself might have flaws that need to be addressed to avoid incursions, go-arounds, and other problems that increase the risk of collisions.