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NTSB warns Burbank may be next plane crash scene
NTSB warned during a hearing that Burbank airport may be the next scene of a possible mid-air plane crash.
LOS ANGELES - The chair of the National Transportation Safety Board is voicing concerns over the possibilities of a mid-air collision occurring at the Hollywood Burbank Airport.
What we know:
During a hearing Tuesday, board chair Jennifer Homendy laid out what she called a series of institutional failures by the FAA that preceded the January 2025 Washington DC crash that killed 67 people. That crash involved an American Airlines jet and an Army Black Hawk helicopter near Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport.
She pointed in part to concerns about the mixing of commercial airplanes and helicopter traffic, noting that there was extensive data about the air traffic pointing to the danger of such a mid-air collision.
She then noted in her remarks that she has heard from airline officials about similar concerns at other airports.
What they're saying:
"I keep hearing about other areas in the airspace where they're concerned. Burbank is one. Where commercial airlines have called me to say the next mid-air is going to be at Burbank, and nobody at FAA is paying attention to us. So whether it is involving helicopters or not, people are raising red flags, and why aren't people listening? The FAA has to ensure safety. That is their job," Homendy said during the hearing.
The airport has reported six near misses in the past five years.
RELATED: Southwest Airlines passengers report near-miss collision on flight from Burbank to Las Vegas
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NTSB voices safety concerns at Burbank Airport
The NTSB is voicing concerns over safety and the possibilities of a mid-air collision at Burbank Airport. The comments were made during a hearing over the deadly Washington DC plane crash from last year.
The other side:
The FAA issued a statement saying, "In February 2025, we began using innovative AI tools to identify similar hotspots with high volumes of mixed helicopter and airplane traffic and implement appropriate mitigations. One of our primary focus areas was Van Nuys Airport and nearby Hollywood Burbank Airport in the Los Angeles area. Based on our safety analysis, the FAA lowered the Van Nuys traffic pattern by 200 feet during an evaluation in 2025 to see if that would reduce conflicts with aircraft landing at Burbank. Preliminary data indicated the change resulted in a reduction of Traffic Collision Avoidance System alerts for Burbank arrivals and we permanently lowered the Van Nuys traffic pattern effective Jan. 5, 2026."
The Source: Information for this story came from NTSB board chair Jennifer Homendy. The FAA also provided a statement.