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Flights in Washington aborted landing due to Army helicopter's presence, triggering investigation by federal agencies.

Investigators initiate inquiry following two aborted landings at Reagan Washington National Airport on Thursday. The reason for the unexpected maneuvers was the proximity of a U.S. Army Black Hawk helicopter, en route to the Pentagon, which raised concerns for flight safety. In a statement on...

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Flights in Washington aborted landing due to Army helicopter's presence, triggering investigation by federal agencies.

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Oh boy, here's a doozy! A U.S. Army Black Hawk helicopter caused quite a fuss at Reagan Washington National Airport last week, causing two commercial flights to abandon their approaches to the runway. The incident happened on Thursday, just outside the Pentagon.

According to reports, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) asked Delta Air Lines Flight 1671, originating from Orlando, and Republic Airways Flight 5825, departing from Boston, to perform a go-around at around 2:30 p.m. due to a military helicopter being nearby.

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) is also getting in on the action, investigating along with the FAA.

This incident comes after a tragic mid-air collision between an American Airlines regional jet and an Army Black Hawk in January, which left no survivors. In response, the FAA imposed permanent restrictions on non-essential helicopter operations around Reagan National Airport.

Now, it appears the FAA is scrutinizing the Black Hawk's route in the two incidents, checking if it violates an agreement with the Army. Senator Ted Cruz has condemned the Army for once again endangering civilian lives. "It's high time for the FAA to take swift action and assert control over our skies to stop the Army from operating helicopters so casually near Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport," he said.

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy didn't mince words, labeling the Army's disregard for helicopter safety rules as "outrageous." He suggested VIPs and unimportant flights should opt for ground transportation instead.

Delta and the Pentagon didn't comment immediately, while a person involved stated investigators are reviewing the helicopter's route and interactions with air traffic control.

Senator Maria Cantwell, the top Democrat on the Commerce Committee, lashed out, stating, "It's been three months since an Army Black Hawk helicopter collided with a passenger jet, and now the same brigade is flying dangerously close to commercial flights again." Rumor has it that the Black Hawk involved in this recent incident was part of the same regiment as the January disaster.

Despite numerous safety incidents at the airport, some recent ones even involving Delta flights, representatives from airlines and other U.S. carriers have been pushing for the FAA to limit helicopter traffic around the airport since 2021.

Reagan Washington National Airport is located in northern Virginia, just outside Washington, D.C., and close to Capitol Hill, making it a bustling hub for lawmakers, tourists, and locals.

The FAA has closed one key route and prohibited the use of two smaller runways at Reagan National Airport when helicopters conducting urgent missions are near the airport since March. Since 2021, there have been 85 recorded near-misses between a helicopter and a plane at the airport, the NTSB reported.

The Army has faced criticism for frequently turning off ADS-B, a key safety system during training missions in the Washington area, and the FAA is currently investigating helicopter traffic near other major airports. Last week, the FAA announced changes to address safety concerns in Las Vegas.

  1. The military helicopter, a Black Hawk from the U.S. Army, disregarded air traffic regulations at Reagan Washington National Airport last week, forcing two commercial flights, Delta Air Lines Flight 1671 and Republic Airways Flight 5825, to abandon their approaches to the runway.
  2. This incident is under investigation by both the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), following a series of safety incidents at the airport.
  3. The FAA has imposed permanent restrictions on non-essential helicopter operations around Reagan National Airport due to a previous tragic mid-air collision involving an American Airlines regional jet and an Army Black Hawk.
  4. Senator Ted Cruz has condemned the Army for endangering civilian lives and called for the FAA to assert control over helicopter traffic near the airport.
  5. Investigators are reviewing the Black Hawk's route and interactions with air traffic control, as they did after the January collision, to determine if it violates agreements with the Army.
  6. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy labeled the Army's disregard for helicopter safety rules as "outrageous" and suggested VIPs and unimportant flights should opt for ground transportation instead.
  7. The events at Reagan Washington National Airport, with its congested skies and frequent near-misses between helicopters and planes, have been a matter of general-news, crime-and-justice, and politics, with airline representatives pushing for the FAA to limit helicopter traffic since 2021.
Investigators initiate probe following incident at Reagan Washington National Airport on Thursday; two flights were forced to abort landings due to a U.S. Army Black Hawk helicopter's improper proximity en route to the Pentagon. The Federal Aviation Administration reported on Friday that air traffic control had given instructions regarding this unusual incident.

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