*
FAA says Army helicopter came too close to two passenger
flights, forcing aborted landings
*
Army helicopter was on 'scenic route,' FAA told Congress
(Adds NTSB investigating, comment from lawmaker)
By David Shepardson
WASHINGTON, May 2 (Reuters) -
Federal investigators have launched an probe after two
flights aborted landings at Reagan Washington National Airport
on Thursday because of the presence of a U.S. Army Black Hawk
helicopter that was headed to the Pentagon.
The Federal Aviation Administration said on Friday that air
traffic control instructed Delta Air Lines Flight 1671,
an Airbus A319 that had originated in Orlando, and Republic
Airways Flight 5825, an Embraer ( ERJ ) 170 that had departed from
Boston, to perform go-arounds at around 2:30 p.m. due to a
priority military air transport helicopter in the vicinity.
The National Transportation Safety Board is also
investigating.
Following a January 29 mid-air collision of an American
Airlines ( AAL ) regional jet and an Army Black Hawk that killed
67 people, the FAA imposed permanent restrictions on
non-essential helicopter operations around Reagan National
Airport.
The FAA told Congress it was reviewing the Army helicopter's
route in the two "loss of separation" incidents and if 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 on 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 Friday.
The Pentagon did not immediately comment. A person involved
said investigators are reviewing the helicopter's route and
interactions with air traffic control.
"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."
Republic Airways did not immediately respond to a request
for comment.
The airport is located in northern Virginia, just outside
Washington, D.C., and about four miles (6.4 km) 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.
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 1,500 feet and a
vertical separation of less than 200 feet, the National
Transportation Safety Board said in March.
A number of recent safety incidents at the airport have
raised alarm, including a March 28 incident involving a Delta
flight and a group of Air Force jets.
Airlines for America, a group representing American Airlines ( AAL )
and other U.S. 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.