Hotline connecting Pentagon with DC’s Ronald Reagan airport has been ‘inoperable’ for over 3 years: FAA

New York Post - May 14th, 2025
Open on New York Post

A critical hotline between the Pentagon and air traffic controllers at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport has been inoperable since March 2022. This issue came to light during a Senate hearing following a tragic mid-air collision in January that resulted in the deaths of 67 people. The collision involved a Black Hawk helicopter and a regional passenger plane over the Potomac River. FAA Air Traffic Organization deputy COO Franklin McIntosh disclosed that the Defense Department was responsible for the maintenance of this direct line but failed to notify air traffic controllers of the outage. McIntosh informed the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee, chaired by Ted Cruz, that the hotline's status was only discovered post-incident, and operations from the Pentagon would not resume until the line is restored.

This revelation raises significant concerns regarding communication protocols and safety measures between military and civilian air operations. The inoperability of such a crucial communication line for nearly a year without notice highlights potential systemic oversights within the Department of Defense and the FAA. This incident underscores the importance of reliable communication channels in preventing airspace tragedies and may prompt a reevaluation of current maintenance and notification procedures. The broader implications could lead to policy changes aimed at enhancing coordination between military and civilian aviation sectors to ensure air traffic safety.

Story submitted by Fairstory

RATING

6.4
Moderately Fair
Read with skepticism

The article presents a timely and important story about a critical communication failure between the Pentagon and air traffic controllers, resulting in a tragic accident. It effectively highlights the potential safety implications and government accountability issues, making it highly relevant to public interest. The clarity and readability of the article are strong, with a straightforward presentation of the facts and a logical structure. However, the story's reliance on a single source and the lack of additional perspectives or corroborative evidence limit its overall accuracy and source quality. The balance of the article could be improved by including viewpoints from the Defense Department and other stakeholders, while greater transparency about the verification process would enhance the reporting's credibility. Despite these limitations, the article has significant potential to influence public opinion and prompt discussions about aviation safety and inter-agency communication systems.

RATING DETAILS

7
Accuracy

The story presents several factual claims that are significant and require verification. The claim that a hotline connecting the Pentagon with Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport has been inoperable since March 2022 is a central point and appears to be supported by the testimony of FAA official Franklin McIntosh. However, the story does not provide direct evidence or documentation confirming this timeline. The report of a tragic mid-air collision between a Black Hawk helicopter and a regional passenger plane, resulting in 67 fatalities, is another critical claim. This event is described as the catalyst for discovering the hotline's inoperability, yet the story lacks corroborative details from independent sources or official reports.

Additionally, the story mentions that the FAA only became aware of the hotline's outage after the collision, suggesting a significant lapse in communication. This claim, attributed to McIntosh, would benefit from further verification, such as internal FAA communications or an official inquiry report. The assertion that the Defense Department was responsible for maintaining the hotline but failed to inform air traffic controllers is another factual statement that needs more evidence or confirmation from the Defense Department itself.

Overall, while the story provides a coherent narrative supported by an official's testimony, it lacks additional sources or documentation to fully substantiate its claims. Therefore, the accuracy is moderately high but not fully verifiable without further evidence.

6
Balance

The article primarily presents the perspective of the FAA, specifically through the testimony of Franklin McIntosh. This creates a narrative that focuses on the FAA's position regarding the hotline's inoperability and the subsequent safety concerns. However, the story does not include viewpoints from the Defense Department, which is accused of failing to maintain the hotline and communicate its status. This omission results in a lack of balanced representation of all parties involved.

The article could improve its balance by incorporating responses or statements from the Defense Department to provide a more comprehensive view of the situation. Including perspectives from independent aviation safety experts or other stakeholders, such as airline representatives or pilot associations, could also add depth and balance to the reporting.

While the story effectively highlights the FAA's concerns and actions, the absence of other perspectives limits the reader's ability to fully understand the complexities and responsibilities shared between the FAA and the Defense Department. Therefore, the balance is somewhat skewed towards one perspective.

8
Clarity

The article is written in clear and concise language, making it easy for readers to understand the main points and claims. The structure of the article is logical, beginning with the revelation of the hotline's inoperability and following with the implications and responses from the FAA. The use of direct quotes from Franklin McIntosh adds clarity to the narrative, as it provides specific statements attributed to a credible source.

The tone of the article is neutral and factual, focusing on presenting the information without sensationalism or bias. The story effectively communicates the seriousness of the situation and the potential safety implications without resorting to alarmist language.

Overall, the article's clarity is high, as it successfully conveys the essential information in a manner that is accessible to a general audience.

5
Source quality

The primary source of information in the article is the testimony of FAA official Franklin McIntosh, presented during a Senate hearing. While this is a credible source due to the official capacity and context, the reliance on a single source limits the depth and breadth of the reporting. The story does not cite any additional sources or provide corroborative evidence from independent or third-party organizations.

The lack of diverse sources, such as statements from the Defense Department, independent aviation experts, or other government officials, affects the overall reliability of the article. The story would benefit from including multiple sources to provide a more comprehensive and authoritative account of the events and claims made.

Overall, the source quality is moderate, as the reliance on a single official's testimony without additional corroboration limits the robustness of the reporting.

6
Transparency

The article provides a clear account of the events as described by FAA official Franklin McIntosh, including the timeline of the hotline outage and the subsequent discovery following a tragic accident. However, the story does not disclose the methodology used to verify these claims or the process by which the information was obtained beyond the hearing testimony.

There is a lack of transparency regarding any attempts to verify the claims made by McIntosh or to seek responses from the Defense Department. The article does not mention whether efforts were made to obtain additional documentation or statements from other involved parties, which could provide a clearer understanding of the situation.

While the article is straightforward in presenting the information it has, the lack of transparency about the verification process and the absence of multiple perspectives slightly diminish the overall transparency of the reporting.

Sources

  1. https://www.axios.com/2025/05/14/reagan-aiport-pentagon-hotline-air-traffic-control-crash
  2. https://english.news.cn/20250515/fecc5a4552eb45a7b5b9eab9218ca9ba/c.html