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1-on-1 with Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy spoke with FOX 5.
WASHINGTON - Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy told FOX 5 that officials are using artificial intelligence to detect and address air traffic risks across the country, similar to those identified at Washington’s Ronald Reagan National Airport following January’s deadly midair collision.
AI analyzing air traffic risks
What we know:
Since the deadly crash, federal aviation officials have worked to make sure planes and helicopters no longer share the same airspace over the nation’s capital.
READ MORE: Black Hawk pilot's error led to DCA crash: report
"We've boxed off the area off Runway 33, where we had cross traffic between the helicopters and fixed-wing aircraft on Route 4. That doesn't happen anymore. We don't have that cross traffic," Duffy told FOX 5’s Steve Chenevey.
The deadly crash between an American Airlines passenger jet and an Army helicopter on January 29 killed all 67 people aboard.
READ MORE: Black Hawk pilot failed to heed flight instructor before DCA plane crash: report
Crew retrieve wreckage of American Airlines flight 5342 in the Potomac river, Washington, DC, January 30, 2025. The plane was involved in a fatal collision with a U.S. Army Black Hawk helicopter last night. (Leigh Green for Fox News Digital)
Officials aim to prevent crashes
Duffy acknowledged past oversight, saying there were too many close calls and authorities should have addressed the issues earlier. He said using AI to identify and address potential air traffic risks nationwide can prevent another tragedy.
"Are there any other DCAs out there?" Duffy said investigators asked themselves. "We're using AI to help us analyze different hot spots in the country and taking action before you have the tragedy of what we saw on the 29th of January."
READ MORE: Close call at Reagan National Airport between military and passenger jet remains under investigation
The Source: Information in this article comes from The Associated Press and an interview with Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy.