Reference News website reported on May 16 that according to a report from the U.S. National Public Radio (NPR) website on May 14, a U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) official confirmed on May 14 that the hotline for direct communication between the Pentagon and the Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport air traffic control tower has been inoperable since March 2022.

In a hearing held by the Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee, Texas Republican Senator Ted Cruz questioned FAA officials about the January accident in which a U.S. Army "Black Hawk" helicopter collided with a civilian passenger plane near Reagan National Airport, resulting in the death of 67 people. The FAA publicly acknowledged the aforementioned situation at the hearing.

FAA Deputy Chief Operating Officer Franklin J. McIntosh said that the agency was unaware that the hotline could not be used at the time of the incident.

He said: "We were initially unaware, and we have learned this after the incident. We insist that the hotline must be repaired before any actions can be resumed at the Pentagon."

The FAA stated in a declaration to NPR that due to the construction of the new Pentagon tower, the "dedicated, direct communication line" between Reagan National Airport and the Pentagon Army helicopter landing pad has been closed since 2022.

The Army did not respond to requests for comment.

On May 5, an Army unit suspended training flights in the National Capital Region. Less than two weeks prior, the unit had resumed flights that had been paused due to the January crash.

The immediate cause of the training suspension was on May 1 when two commercial aircraft had to abandon their attempt to land at Reagan National Airport because an Army helicopter conducting a training mission came too close to their flight paths.

Margaret Wallace, a professor of air traffic control at Florida Institute of Technology, said that it is common for air traffic control agencies to establish hotlines with other important offices such as meteorological agencies, government buildings, and military facilities.

Wallace, who previously served as an air traffic controller for the U.S. Air Force, said that using a hotline for communication is very useful. She said: "Perhaps it is the commander of an airbase who won't sit there listening to the radio, but the hotline can directly reach him. Or directly call the White House."

At the hearing on May 14, when Cruz asked about when the hotline would be restored, McIntosh said he hoped the Department of Defense would "accelerate its efforts so they can begin relevant operations as soon as possible." (Translated by Lu Di)

Original article: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7504878255430844963/

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