When senators grilled the Federal Aviation Administration last week about how the agency could have let the high number of close calls between helicopters and commercial jetliners occur at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport,

The arrest of an F.A.A. employee on assault and battery charges comes as flight operations at the airport have been under scrutiny since a passenger jet and an Army helicopter collided in January.

An FAA employee was arrested and charged with assault after a scuffle in the air traffic control tower at Reagan Washington National Airport on March 27.