Kansas Senator Jerry Moran and Texas Senator Ted Cruz are calling on Brigadier General Matthew Braman, director of Army Aviation, to provide more information on the January 29th crash between American Airlines Flight 5342 and an Army Blackhawk in Washington, D.C.
Moran chairs the Senate Commerce Subcommittee on Aviation, Space, and Innovation, and Cruz is chairman of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation. In February, the senators hosted a briefing for Commerce Committee members with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), and the Army. During the discussion, the Army committed to providing answers to questions that required further review. The senators are now asking for responses to questions that are still unanswered.
General Braman has been asked to testify at a March 27th hearing on the crash, and the Army’s response to Congress would inform congressional oversight on the next steps necessary to prevent a tragedy like this from occurring again.
The crash near Reagan National Airport claimed 64 lives on the American Airlines flight from Wichita, and three lives on the helicopter.
