NTSB begins hearings on DC midair collision that killed 67 people

The National Transportation Safety Board will hold three days of hearings on the January midair collision that killed 67 people.

The first hearing is scheduled to begin on July 30 at 9 a.m., and the goal is to pinpoint what went wrong and gain more information about the collision.

LIVE VIDEO: NTSB begins hearings on DC midair collision

Six passengers on the flight from Wichita to Washington, DC, were part of the Skating Club of Boston, returning from a competition in Kansas.

Two figure skating coaches, Evgenia Shishkova and Vadim Naumov, skaters Jinna Han, 13, of Mansfield, and Spencer Lane, 16, of Barrington, Rhode Island, were identified by the The Skating Club of Boston who died in the crash along with their mothers, Jin Han and Christine Lane.

The hearings are said to be afact finding proceeding – but no new safety recommendations are expected – although families of victims from the crash are calling on that.

The FAA has already limited helicopter traffic at Reagan National Airport.

Lawmakers are working on the ROTOR Act. Senator Ted Cruz says one of the most important parts of the bill is a new requirement on all military and civilian aircrafts to use technology that allows them to broadcast their positions and receive positions of others in real time.

That would include the altitude and velocity of other pilots in air traffic.

“American skies must be as safe as possible, and our duty as lawmakers is to ensure that they are,” said Cruz.

Earlier in July, the families of the passengers killed sent a letter to the Army demanding accountability and said they are “deeply dismayed” by what they perceive as the Army’s refusal to engage with families.

“In the past people became complacent, leaders became complacent and we had warnings of near misses in the DCA airspace, unacceptable,” said Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy.

Chris Collins, a native of North Dighton, was also among the 67 people killed.

The NTSB is still investigating the cause of the tragic collision.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.

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