Burbank Airport could be next scene of mid-air crash, airlines warn NTSB

BURBANK, Calif. (KABC) — The chair of the National Transportation Safety Board on Tuesday expressed concerns over the dangerous possibility of the next deadly mid-air collision happening at Hollywood Burbank Airport.

The NTSB chair says it’s commercial airlines that are sounding the alarm, and says the FAA should take the warnings from airlines seriously.

“I keep hearing about other areas in the airspace where they are concerned. Burbank is one where commercial airlines have called me to say the next mid-air is going to be at Burbank, and nobody at FAA is paying attention to us,” NTSB Chair Jennifer Homendy said at a hearing, referring to the Federal Aviation Administration. “So, whether it is involving helicopters or not, people are raising red flags, and why aren’t people listening? The FAA has to ensure safety. That is their job.”

Tuesday’s hearing was part of the investigation into a deadly mid-air crash near Washington, D.C. last year that left 67 people dead and involved an Army helicopter and an American Airlines plane.

Whether it’s helicopters like the deadly crash in D.C., or private aircraft, the concern is the amount of traffic coming and going from Burbank Airport and Van Nuys Airport in a relatively small airspace. Both airports are extremely busy.

According to the Aviation Safety Reporting System, there have been six near mid-air collisions at Burbank Airport since Jan. 1, 2021. The NTSB is demanding that the FAA take action.

The FAA says it’s been focusing on airports like Van Nuys and Burbank for safety improvements. It says traffic collision alerts have been reduced for Burbank, and the Van Nuys traffic pattern has been lowered permanently.

The FAA released the following statement after Homendy’s remarks.

“The FAA acted immediately to improve safety following the tragic mid-air collision, both at DCA and around the country. In February 2025, we began using innovative AI tools to identify similar hotspots with high volumes of mixed helicopter and airplane traffic and implement appropriate mitigations. One of our primary focus areas was Van Nuys Airport and nearby Hollywood Burbank Airport in the Los Angeles area. Based on our safety analysis, the FAA lowered the Van Nuys traffic pattern by 200 feet during an evaluation in 2025 to see if that would reduce conflicts with aircraft landing at Burbank. Preliminary data indicated the change resulted in a reduction of Traffic Collision Avoidance System (TCAS) alerts for Burbank arrivals and we permanently lowered the Van Nuys traffic pattern effective Jan. 5, 2026.”

A spokesperson for Hollywood Burbank Airport did not immediately respond to ABC7’s request for comment.

Eyewitness News spoke to some passengers at the Burbank Airport about the warning from the NTSB chair.

“I’ve never really had thoughts of safety here. I’ve always had good experiences with Burbank, LAX and I travel quite a bit for work,” said Trent Jackson from Santa Clarita.

“One of my concerns has always been the amount of traffic over the city. I like the size that we’ve always been able to remain, and I don’t want to see it get larger like LAX. I think they are a lot more equipped to handle more flights,” said Chrissy Stone from Burbank. “With the new findings, I am concerned.”

“I’m concerned. Like I said, I don’t see a lot of helicopter activity here at Burbank, and I really like this airport,” another passenger said. “If the FAA can make things safer, then there you go. Let’s do that.”