NTSB probes go-arounds at DCA due to Black Hawk helicopter
A “go-around” maneuver is performed when a pilot must abort or reject landing on the final approach or once the aircraft has already touched down.
WASHINGTON — The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) is investigating after two planes were forced to perform go-arounds due to a U.S. Army Black Hawk helicopter near Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA) on Thursday.
According to the NTSB, a Delta Air Lines Airbus A319 and a Republic Airways Embraer E170 were instructed by air traffic control to conduct go-arounds as the helicopter was on its way to the Pentagon.
A “go-around” maneuver is performed when a pilot must abort or reject landing on the final approach or once the aircraft has already touched down. The move is done when a pilot deems the landing to be unsafe or could result in an incident.
In January, American Airlines Flight 5342 and an Army Black Hawk helicopter collided while attempting to land at DCA. All 64 people on the American Airlines flight were killed, as well as the three people on the helicopter.
Between 2011 and 2024, the NTSB found that at least one Traffic Collision Avoidance System (TCAS) alert was triggered per month due to helicopters flying too close to airplanes. In March, the FAA announced plans to remove helicopter routes following the deadly air disaster near DCA, aiming to prevent another mid-air collision.
Two of the changes included:
- Permanently restricting non-essential helicopter operations around DCA and eliminating helicopter and fixed-wing mixed traffic.
- If a helicopter must fly through the airspace on an urgent mission, such as lifesaving medical, priority law enforcement, or Presidential transport, the FAA will keep them specific distances away from airplanes.
United States Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy called Thursday’s events, “unacceptable.”
“Our helicopter restrictions around DCA are crystal clear. In addition to investigations from [NTSB] and [FAA],” Duffy wrote on X. “I’ll be talking to the [Department of Defense] to ask why the hell our rules were disregarded. Safety must ALWAYS come first. We just lost 67 souls! No more helicopter rides for VIPs or unnecessary training in a congested DCA airspace full of civilians. Take a taxi or Uber – besides most VIPs have black car service.”