Avoid tragedy. A Black Hawk Hawk helicopter forced two civil aircraft to cancel landing at Ronald Reagan airport
Federal investigators opened an investigation after two commercial aircraft were trained to cancel the Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport on Thursday due to an American army helicopter that is too close, according to Reuters.
The incident took place just over three months after the Black Hawk helicopter collided with an aircraft airline airports at the end of January, an accident resulted in the death of the 67 people aboard both aircraft.
The Federal Aviation Administration said on Friday that, around 2:30 pm, the air traffic control informed the 1671 flight of Delta Air Lines, an Airbus A319 coming from Orlando, and the 5825 flight of Republic Airways, an Embraer 170, from the Boston Directorate, to postpone a landmark. Air nearby.
National Transportation Safety Board and the US Army also do investigations.
“While performing flight operations to the Pentagon in accordance with FAA-published flight routes and airport control, a UH-60 Blackhawk was guided by the Pentagon's air traffic control, a” return “, flying the Pentagon's heliport in accordance with the approved flight procedures,” the statement said.
Following the January tragedy, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has imposed permanent restrictions on non -essential helicopter operations around Reagan Airport.
“Ready with the VIP helicopter”
FAA told Congress that it revises the route of the army helicopter in the two incidents on Thursday and if the route violates an agreement with the army.
“It seems that the Black Hawk helicopter did not go straight to the Pentagon's heliport. Instead, a picturesque route followed around the Pentagon, instead of doing the west to the west to the heliport,” the FAA note seen by Reuters shows.
The chairman of the Senate Commerce Commission, Ted Cruz, said that “the army puts the trips again … It is time for a quick act and take control of the national air space, so that the army no longer organizes aircraft for military officials near the Ronald Washington National Airport.”
The Secretary of Transport, Sean Duffy, said that the army did not comply with the safety rules for helicopters. “Ready with VIP helicopter walks or unnecessary workouts in a busy and full air space. Take a taxi or Uber-in addition, most VIPs have black cars,” Duffy said.
The Delta company said that there were five crew members on board the flight and 97 passengers.
“Nothing is more important in Delta than the safety of our customers and people. We will cooperate with FAA during the investigation,” the airline said on Friday.
The Pentagon did not comment on the incident
The Pentagon did not comment immediately. An involved person said investigators review the helicopter route and interactions with air traffic control.
An American official, speaking subject to anonymity, said that, according to initial information, the military helicopter was making an emergency evacuation rehearsal.
“It is revolting that, just three months after an army's Black Hawk helicopter collided tragically with a passenger plane, the same army brigade again piloted a helicopter too close to the passenger aircraft during (Reagan Washington),” said senator Maria Cantwell, Top Democrat.
“This happens less than a week after this brigade resumed flights in the capital region. It has long been long as Secretary Hegseth and made our attention to our security and safety,” she said, referring to the head of the Pentagon, Pete Hegseth.
Republic Airways did not comment on the incident.
The airport is located in northern Virginia, right next to Washington, DC, and about 6.4 km from Capitol Hill, which makes it popular among legislators, tourists and residents.
In March, FAA permanently closed a key route and forbade the use of two smaller runways on the airport when helicopters carrying out urgent missions operate near the airport.
