UNITED STATE Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said he talked with Trump administration guide and chief government officer of SpaceX Elon Musk regarding altering the nation’s airspace and elevated issues regarding the armed power’s use helicopters in Washington, D.C.’s congested airspace after a harmful crash lately.
“I had a conversation with Elon Musk yesterday, pretty remarkable guy. He thinks differently than I think probably a lot of us do, but he has access to the best technological people, the best engineers in the world,” Duffy said Wednesday at a avenue transport event inWashington “We’re going to remake our airspace, and we’re going to do it quickly.”
Duffy’s remarks come every week after an Army Black Hawk helicopter rammed a getting right here American Airlines native jetliner atRonald Reagan Washington National Airport All 64 people on the American journey and the three military group on the Black Hawk, which bought on a coaching purpose, had been eradicated. It was essentially the most harmful airline firm crash within the United States contemplating that 2001.
Musk actually didn’t shortly reply to an ask for comment. SpaceX, along with varied different space enterprise, shares airspace with enterprise planes. Last month, a Starship rocket skilled an inflight failing that led to an space of particles drizzling down close to Caribbean islands and triggering a great deal of enterprise journeys to attract away or postpone to remain away from the placement.
united state airline firm execs have really for years required innovation of united state air site visitors management service programs and added hiring of air web site site visitors controllers to stem a yearslong shortage.
Duffy said one air web site site visitors controller was coping with each aircraft and helicopter web site site visitors on the time of the collision which he will definitely “look at the policies and the procedures inside the tower.”
“We’re going to pull that authority back to make sure that we have the right policies in place inside our towers to make sure when you fly, you’re safe,” he said.
Duffy said authorities require to check out the safety of performing primary coaching targets within the night.
“And if we have generals who are flying in helicopters for convenience through this airspace, that’s not acceptable,” he said. “Get in a damn Suburban and drive. You don’t need to take a helicopter.”
The UNITED STATE Army and Defense Department actually didn’t shortly remark.
The National Transportation Safety Board, which is main the examination proper into lately’s collision, remains to be penetrating the rationale for the deadly crash.
–‘s Michael Sheetz added to this report.
