DOT’s Inspector General Launches Audit of FAA After D.C. Collision

Investigation will focus on FAA’s oversight of Washington National Airport.

Zach Vasile

Saturday, August 09, 2025 at 08:00 AM ET

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Zach Vasile

The air traffic control tower at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (KDCA). [Shutterstock/TJ Brown]

Key Takeaways:

The U.S. Transportation Department's inspector general has launched an audit of the FAA's oversight of Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (KDCA) following a midair collision that killed 67 people.
Requested by Congressional leaders, the audit will focus on the FAA's management of DCA airspace, flight routes, and the exemption allowing federal aircraft to fly without active ADS-B Out technology, a factor in the collision.
This investigation follows a heated NTSB hearing on the same incident, where the NTSB criticized the FAA for withholding information and highlighted a significant "disconnect" between air traffic controllers and FAA leadership regarding systemic problems.

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The U.S. Transportation Department’s inspector general has launched an audit of the FAA’s oversight of Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (KDCA) in connection with a midair collision over Washington, D.C., that killed 67 people.

In a statement released Friday, the inspector general’s office said the audit was requested by the leadership of the Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee, the Senate Homeland Security Committee, and additional senators and members of Congress.