FAA ‘permanent restricts’ deadly DC mid-collision after Washington helicopter traffic
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) said Friday that a deadly aerial collision between a commercial aircraft and an Army Blackhawk helicopter on January 29, a deadly aerial crash on the Potomac River was “taken a series of steps” to improve safety near Ronald Reagan’s Washington National Airport (DCA).
The new guide comes after the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) recommends closing A Helicopter route Near Tuesday DCA.
NTSB Board Chairman Jennifer Homendy said the location of Helicopter Highway 4 and the final approach path to DCA runway 33 are “an intolerable risk of achieving aviation safety by increasing the chances of air collisions”.
National Transportation Safety Commission Chairman Jennifer Homendy said there were many potential errors that led to the January 29 crash. (pool)
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The directive follows the FAA in a statement Friday that it has “permanently restricted non-essential helicopter operations around the DCA” and “eliminate helicopter and fixed wing hybrid traffic.”
It will also permanently close Route 4 between Hains Point and Wilson Bridge and evaluate alternative helicopter routes as recommended by NTSB.
“If helicopters must fly space in emergency missions, such as lifesaving medical care, priority law enforcement or presidential transportation, the FAA will keep them away from the plane,” a statement from the FAA said.
U.S. Army UH-60M Blackhawk helicopter. (Patryk Ogorzalek/Agencja Wyborcza.pl via Reuters, file)
The statement said the FAA will also prohibit the use of runways 15/33 and 4/22 while helicopters performing emergency missions are operating near the DCA.
The fatal crash occurred during the military’s “flight inspection” and killed 67 people. No survivors.
Subsequent NTSB investigations revealed that the helicopter crew may not know they were flying too high and may not hear critical information from air traffic control in front of the deadly wreckage.
On January 30, the wreckage of the Potomac River near Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport. (Kevin Lamarck/Reuters)
In addition, the military’s use of “visual separation” was criticized, some of which claimed that this might have led to the disaster.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) announced Friday that it would restrict the use of visual separation in certain Coast Guard, Marine Corps and Park Police helicopter operations outside of restricted airspace.
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Homendy said the helicopters and aircraft during the landing may be only 75 feet away during landing.
Officials said they identified 15,214 aircraft instances close to the alerts about the helicopter between October 2021 and December 2024.
NTSB investigators examined the so-called black box that crashed from a US Army Blackhawk helicopter in Washington, D.C. on January 29. (NTSB)
The Army said the Blackhawks staff are experienced and used to the crowded sky around the nation’s capital.
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Transport Secretary Sean Duffy said on Tuesday that helicopters near the airport were temporarily banned.
“Why don’t the FAA know?” Duffy asked about the helicopter flow near the airport.
Louis Casiano of Fox News Digital contributed to the report.
