*

FAA says Army helicopter came too close to two passenger

flights, forcing aborted landings

*

Army helicopter was on 'scenic route,' FAA told Congress

(Adds comment from a U.S. official in paragraph 10)

By David Shepardson

WASHINGTON, May 2 (Reuters) - Federal investigators have

launched a 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 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

all 67 people aboard the two aircraft, 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 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 U.S. 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, 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.