Safety First: Why Lawmakers Are Pushing for a Deeper Look into the Deadly Helicopter Crash

Lawmakers are demanding a thorough audit of a tragic helicopter crash that claimed 67 lives in January.

The Push for an Investigation

Representative Don Beyer is leading the charge to have the U.S. Army Inspector General conduct a comprehensive audit of the incident.
The Army's Inspector General has so far declined to open an investigation, despite a bipartisan group of senators requesting one in June.
Beyer is determined to change that by attaching a requirement for the audit to the annual Pentagon funding bill.
Senator Ted Cruz supports this move and has proposed similar legislation to examine aviation safety practices and systemic issues.

The crash has raised serious concerns about airport congestion and safety at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, which has the busiest runway in the U.S.
Lawmakers like Senator Mark Warner and Beyer have pointed out that the airport was designed to handle 14 million passengers a year, but it's now dealing with 26 million.
Overcrowding, along with thousands of near-miss incidents, has lawmakers worried about the safety of air travel.

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has come under fire for not acting on reports of near-miss incidents before the crash.
In August, the U.S. Transportation Department's Office of Inspector General launched an audit into the FAA's management of airspace and its exemptions for military aircraft.
The FAA has also faced criticism for its handling of safety protocols, including a May incident where a close call forced two civilian planes to abort their landings.

Senator Maria Cantwell has also joined the call for the Army's Inspector General to launch its own audit.
With so many lawmakers pushing for a deeper investigation, it's clear that the focus is on ensuring that such a tragedy does not happen again.