On Thursday, a U.S. Army Black Hawk helicopter navigating through restricted airspace over Washington, D.C., prompted two incoming commercial planes bound for Reagan National Airport to execute emergency avoidance procedures.
An American Airlines jet
collided
with a military Black Hawk helicopter near Reagan National Airport on Jan. 29, killing all 67 people aboard both aircraft. Just four months after the deadly incident, it was reported that an Army chopper deviated from its approved flight path, veering around the Pentagon instead of heading directly to the helipad,
according
In a Friday email sent to Politico and acquired by them, Chris Senn, who is the FAA’s Assistant Administrator, stated.
When an unforeseen event occurred, air traffic controllers instructed two aircraft approaching the runway to execute go-arounds—one from Delta Air Lines and another from Republic Airways. While such maneuvers aren’t rare occurrences at this bustling airport, the Federal Aviation Administration categorized Thursday’s occurrence as a “loss of separation,” indicating a significant violation of national aviation safety protocols.
ARLINGTON, VIRGINIA – ON JANUARY 30: The control tower at Reagan National Airport following the incident where an American Airlines aircraft crashed into the Potomac River during its approach to the airport on January 30, 2025, in Arlington, Virginia. (Photograph by Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)
According to reports from Politico, the two civilian planes came perilously near to the helicopter, with distances as little as a mile and 400 feet in one instance, and merely 0.4 miles and 200 feet in another. Unlike the Army Black Hawk involved in the January accident—where investigators believe the system had been deactivated—the helicopter here was sending data through its ADS-B (Automatic Dependent Surveillance–Broadcast) system.
The risk intensified as the helicopter’s radar trace momentarily malfunctioned on the controllers’ displays, causing a delay in tracking its precise location. During this occurrence, the Reagan control tower had complete staffing with one supervisor, four certified professional air traffic controllers, and a trainee undergoing instruction. According to FAA authorities, an inquiry has been initiated to ascertain if the Army deviated from established flight procedures. Additionally, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) is examining the situation.
Thursday’s near miss reignited worries following the January 29th incident, which underscored flaws in coordinating between military and civilian air traffic management, particularly regarding the uneven application of tracking technologies.
reported
the pilot of a U.S. Army Black Hawk did not alter their trajectory prior to crashing into a passenger plane.
Reagan National Airport has experienced multiple incidents, such as an accident in April involving a plane.
clipped
The rotorwash from another plane carrying two U.S. representatives affected the Army-piloted Black Hawk. According to investigators, the pilot of the Black Hawk did not keep a lower altitude and possibly overlooked air traffic instructions because of concurrent radio communications.
Neither the FAA nor the NTSB promptly responded to the Daily Caller News Foundation’s inquiries for comments.
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