Letter to the Hon. Howard "Skip" Elliott, Inspector General of the Department of Transportation - Senator Duckworth, Former Army Black Hawk Pilot, Demands Investigations into Military Helicopters Threatening American Civilians
Letter
Dear Acting Inspector General Elliott:
I write to request an independent investigation into the reports of several helicopters flying in a
hover at low altitudes over densely populated areas around Washington, DC on the evening of
Monday, June 1, 2020. I am deeply concerned about the unnecessary risk these low-flying
aircraft posed to hundreds of civilians.
In order to understand if these low-level flight operations were in violation of Federal Aviation
Regulations (FARs) or United States Code of Federal Regulations (CFRs), I ask that the
following questions be answered no later than June 30, 2020, accompanied with all appropriate
documentation of the investigation. To the extent a question refers to the military, the question
shall be interpreted to cover all of the U.S. Department of Defense' s military branches and subagencies, including Reserve and National Guard forces.
1. What was the flight path of the rotary wing aircraft that operated in a hover at low
altitude over a densely populated areas in Washington, DC on the evening of Monday,
June 1, 2020?
2. Did these aircraft maintain flight operations in accordance with Baltimore-Washington
helicopter route chart for the duration of their flight?
3. Did these aircraft enter prohibited airspace? If so, did they have authorization from the
control tower at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport?
4. Were any additional Temporary Flight Restriction (TFR) zones, in addition to the
permanent DC Metropolitan Flight Restricted Zone (DC FRZ) established on Monday,
June 1, 2020? If so, were any aircraft cleared to operate in the TFRs?
5. Did these aircraft operate in accordance with FAR 91.119 regarding flight over open-air
assemblies of persons?
6. Did these aircraft request an alternate clearance from air traffic control to comply with
FAR 91.119?
7. Were these helicopters exempt from FAR 91.119? If so, does that alleviate them from
operating at an altitude, if a power unit fails, where they can still conduct an emergency
landing without undue hazard to person or property on the surface?
8. Did the operators of any of these aircraft violate any Federal laws, regulations, or
policies?
An independent investigation is critical to inform the public and the Congress about whether
these high-risk rotorcraft maneuvers were conducted in accordance with all applicable laws and
to determine if U.S. citizens were exposed to undue hazard. Thank you in advance for your
consideration of my request.
Source