The U.S. Department of Transportation Office of Inspector General will audit the FAA Air Traffic Organization’s Safety Management System functions and organizational safety culture following the January 29, 2025, midair collision near Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport.
The audit follows NTSB’s review of the accident, which identified concerns with how ATO applied its Safety Management System, including risk identification, mitigation, coordination with external stakeholders, and aspects of organizational safety culture.
For NATA members, the audit is significant because it focuses on how safety risks are identified, communicated, and mitigated within the National Airspace System. Aviation businesses depend on a safe, predictable, and coordinated ATC system, and the review may help inform future FAA processes for risk management, data sharing, and engagement with industry stakeholders.
DOT OIG said it is initiating the audit given the importance of an effective SMS in maintaining the safety of the National Airspace System. The audit will assess ATO’s SMS functions across air traffic control facilities and its organizational safety culture, with work planned at FAA Headquarters and selected facilities across the country.