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NTSB Urges Ban on Helicopter Flights Near Reagan National Airport After Collision Kills 67

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Updated Mar 13, 2025, 04:26 PM

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has recommended a ban on certain helicopter flights near Washington, D.C.'s Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport following a deadly midair collision on Jan. 29 that killed 67 people. The collision involved an American Airlines plane, which had departed from Wichita, Kansas, carrying 64 passengers, and a U.S. Army Black Hawk helicopter with 3 crew members on a training mission over the Potomac River. NTSB Chairwoman Jennifer Homendy stated that the existing separation distance between planes and helicopters at the airport is 'insufficient and poses an intolerable risk to aviation safety.' The board has urged the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to permanently prohibit helicopter operations near the airport when runways 15 and 33 are in use, citing that helicopters flying at the maximum authorized altitude of 200 feet may have just 75 feet of vertical separation from an airplane on landing approach to runway 33. The NTSB's preliminary report highlighted a history of close calls at Reagan National Airport, with over 15,000 near-miss incidents between commercial airplanes and helicopters recorded between October 2021 and December 2024. These incidents included 85 events with a lateral separation of less than 1,500 feet and vertical separation of less than 200 feet, and 15,214 occurrences with less than 1 nautical mile lateral and 400 feet vertical separation, underscoring the need for immediate changes to enhance safety. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy has extended a temporary ban on the helicopter route involved in the crash, which was set to expire at the end of March. Duffy's decision follows the NTSB's recommendation to maintain restrictions until a permanent solution can be implemented. The Black Hawk crew was likely wearing night vision goggles throughout the flight, which may have contributed to the incident as the helicopter was above its 200-foot limit for the area at the time of the collision.

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#National Transportation Safety Board #NTSB #American Airlines #Wichita #Kansas #Potomac River #Jennifer Homendy #Federal Aviation Administration #FAA #Reagan National Airport #Sean Duffy #Duffy #Black Hawk

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Sources

washingtontimes.com(7)twitter.com(7)washingtonpost.com(4)forbes.com(4)

Chad Pergram

@ChadPergram

House Oversight Subcommittee on Military and Foreign Affairs writes to DefSec Hegseth today. Wans a Member-level briefing on DCA midair collision. Wants Pentagon "to ensure that this type of accident does not happen again."

KOMO News

@komonews

NTSB reveals findings of over 15,000 close calls near Reagan National Airport: https://t.co/SsOfGJnaDs

The Jerusalem Post

@Jerusalem_Post

A US House of Representatives oversight subcommittee is investigating the collision between an Army Black Hawk helicopter and an American Airlines regional jet. https://t.co/f48Ge6miJ0