Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA) has installed a new Surface Movement Radar (SMR-4) system, a measure implemented more than a year after a catastrophic midair collision on January 29, 2025, that resulted in 67 fatalities. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy announced the system's deployment Friday, stating its purpose is to enhance air traffic controllers' ability to identify aircraft and vehicles on runways and taxiways.
The SMR-4 technology is designed to provide controllers with a clearer view of airport operations, particularly in conditions of low visibility due to weather or other factors. Reagan National Airport is the fifth airport to receive this upgrade, following Newark Liberty International Airport, which was equipped earlier in the week.
The new radar system is part of a broader investment in safety and technology at Reagan National. The Department of Transportation plans to invest $30.5 million over the next three years for such upgrades.
The fatal midair collision that prompted these changes involved American Airlines Flight 5342, a regional jet operated by PSA Airlines, and a U.S. Army Black Hawk helicopter. The aircraft collided over the Potomac River near the airport, killing all 64 people aboard the flight and three on the helicopter.
An investigation by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) concluded that systemic failures within the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the Army contributed to the tragedy. These failures were identified in airspace design, safety oversight, and risk management. NTSB Chairwoman Jennifer Homendy stated in a January 2026 report that the investigation uncovered significant and long-standing safety vulnerabilities in the airspace over the nation's capital, indicating that the conditions leading to the collision existed prior to the event itself.