By Tim Carpenter, Kansas Reflector
TOPEKA — Members of the Kansas congressional delegation gathered on the U.S. House floor for a moment of silence in honor of people killed when a military helicopter collided with a civilian commercial aircraft from Wichita on approach to Reagan Washington National Airport.
U.S. Rep. Ron Estes, R-Kansas, said the idea was to come together with members of Congress impacted by the Jan. 29 accident that killed 64 passengers and crew on Flight 5342 and three U.S. Army personnel aboard the Black Hawk helicopter.
“As we mourn the loss of these 67 individuals, there are truly no words to adequately describe the heartbreak we feel,” Estes said. “We grieve with the families and friends they left behind and pray for those in our districts who are still in shock at the loss of their loved ones.”
“They were young skaters, a rural Kansas couple, a college student, a group of friends returning from an annual hunting trip and so many others who were taking a routine flight from the (Wichita) air capital to our nation’s capital,” he said.
Estes said there was a commitment to find answers for the midair crash and how other similar disasters could be avoided.
U.S. Rep. Sharice Davids, D-Kansas, said the silence of dozens of people on the House floor recognized lives lost and devastation felt by families.
“In this time of grief, we stand united with the victims’ families, offering our support and compassion,” Davids said. “While no words can undo the pain they are feeling, we are committed to ensuring their loved ones are never forgotten and will work tirelessly to help prevent such a tragedy from happening again.”
Meanwhile, U.S. Sen. Jerry Moran, R-Kansas, and U.S. Sen. Tammy Duckworth, D-Illinois, urged the Federal Aviation Administration to continue restrictions on non-essential helicopter operations near Reagan Washington airport.
They asked that limitations on helicopter flights remain until conclusion of the National Transportation Safety Board’s preliminary report and after the FAA briefed the Senate’s commerce subcommittee on aviation, space and innovation.
“Until investigators complete this work, restricting helicopter operations, while allowing for essential medical support, active law enforcement, active air defense and presidential transport traffic will help keep the area safe and improve public trust in commercial air travel,” Moran said in a letter to the FAA.
Moran, who chairs the Senate subcommittee, said the panel would examine expert findings to determine whether policy changes were necessary to increase safety and improve public trust.
