As Congress was considering whether to add flights to Reagan National Airport in May 2024, Sen. Time Kaine, D-Va., warned lawmakers that the already overburdened airport could not handle any more traffic. He said it would be dangerous and create the potential for an in-air collision.

“God forbid waking up and looking in a mirror one day and say, ‘Wow, I was warned. I was warned and I shouldn’t have done this,'” Kaine told reporters last year.

“You’re going to do it to convenience a few dozen members…at the expense of everybody who lives around this airport who would potentially be victimized if there was some kind of a collision,” Kaine continued.

Kaine’s concern became a reality Wednesday night, Jan 29, when an American Airlines regional jet and Sikorsky UH-60 helicopter collided.

Sixty passengers and four crew members were reportedly aboard the plane, according to American Airlines. Defense officials also told CNN that three people were aboard the Black Hawk helicopter.

Rescue teams were searching the Potomac River for survivors.

“You’re also increasing a safety risk because when you have one plane taking off or landing every minute, while other planes are circling, especially in very constricted air space, like DCS airspace, you run the risk of serious challenge,” Kaine said in May 2024.

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) reauthorization bill added five slots to Reagan’s daily schedule, which is five landings and five take-offs. Reagan’s main runway is the single busiest in the nation, with 90% of the flights at the airport taking off from the same strip due to the airport’s relatively small size.

“When you hear an air traffic controller having to shout stop, stop to get two jets trying to use this main runway to stop within 300 feet of each other,” Kaine said. “This is a flashing red warning sign telling everyone that this airport is already overburdened and you shouldn’t do more.”