By David Shepardson, Reuters
Emergency vehicles at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, on 30 January 2025. Photo: AFP/ Andrew Caballero-Reynolds
US federal investigators have launched a probe after two flights aborted landings at Reagan Washington National Airport because of the presence of a US Army Black Hawk helicopter that was headed to the Pentagon.
The Federal Aviation Administration said that on Thursday (local time) air traffic control instructed Delta Air Lines Flight 1671, an Airbus A319 that had originated in Orlando, and Republic Airways Flight 5825, an Embraer 170 that had departed from Boston, to perform go-arounds at around 2.30pm due to a priority military air transport helicopter in the vicinity.
The National Transportation Safety Board is also investigating.
Following a 29 January mid-air collision of an American Airlines regional jet and an Army Black Hawk that killed all 67 people aboard the two aircraft, the FAA imposed permanent restrictions on non-essential helicopter operations around Reagan National Airport.
This US Coast Guard photo shows the Coast Guard investigating aircraft wreckage on the Potomac River on 30 January, 2025 in Washington, DC. Photo: HANDOUT / AFP
The FAA told Congress it was reviewing the Army helicopter's route in the two "loss of separation" incidents on Thursday and whether the route violates an agreement with the Army.
"It appears the Black Hawk operation did not proceed directly to the Pentagon Heliport. Instead, it took a scenic route around the Pentagon versus proceeding directly from the west to the heliport," the FAA said.
Delta said there were five crew and 97 passengers aboard the flight.
"Nothing is more important at Delta than the safety of our customers and people. We'll cooperate with the FAA as they investigate," the airline said on Friday.
The Pentagon did not immediately comment. A person involved said investigators are reviewing the helicopter's route and interactions with air traffic control.
A US official, speaking on the condition of anonymity, said that according to initial information, the military helicopter was doing an emergency evacuation rehearsal.
"It is outrageous that only three months after an Army Black Hawk helicopter tragically collided with a passenger jet, the same Army brigade again flew a helicopter too close to passenger jets on final approach at (Reagan Washington)," Senator Maria Cantwell, the top Democrat on the Commerce Committee, said.
"This comes less than a week after this brigade resumed flights in the National Capital Region. It is far past time for Secretary Hegseth and the FAA to give our airspace the security and safety attention it deserves," she said, referring to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth.
Republic Airways did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The airport is located in northern Virginia, just outside Washington, DC, and 6.4km from Capitol Hill, making it popular with lawmakers, tourists and local residents.
The FAA in March permanently closed one key route and prohibited the use of two smaller runways at the airport when helicopters conducting urgent missions are operating near the airport.
This satellite image on 30 January, 2025, of the crash area near Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport and the Potomac River one day after American Airlines flight 5342 collided with a US Army helicopter as the passenger jet approached the runway to land. Photo: AFP/ Maxar Technologies
Since 2021, there have been 85 recorded events involving a potentially dangerous near-miss between a helicopter and a plane - defined as a lateral separation of less than 460m and a vertical separation of just over 60m, the National Transportation Safety Board said in March.
A number of recent safety incidents at the airport have raised alarm, including a 28 March incident involving a Delta flight and a group of Air Force jets.
Airlines for America, a group representing American Airlines and other US carriers, in March urged the FAA to permanently reduce helicopter traffic around the airport.
The group called on the FAA to suspend some nearby helicopter routes with limited exceptions for essential military or medical emergencies.
The Army has also come under fire for routinely turning off a key safety system known as ADS-B during training missions in the Washington area.
The FAA is investigating helicopter traffic near other major airports and last week announced changes to address safety concerns in Las Vegas.
- Reuters
