
Reagan National Airport has a long history of problems, challenges
The deadly midair collision between an Army Black Hawk helicopter and an American Airlines flight was the first major crash in the airspace near the Ronald Reagan National Airport since 1982. But the incident came after decades of near misses of aircraft in flight over the area. It is raising questions about why changes that might have prevented such an accident were never made. Steven Polzin, a research professor in the School of Sustainable Engineering and the Built Environment, part of the Fulton Schools, and former senior research and technology advisor to the U.S. Department of Transportation, advises worried travelers to avoid crowded airports such as Reagan and peak travel periods.