The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is currently investigating two flight abort incidents that occurred at Reagan Washington National Airport on Thursday, May 1st. The reason for the aborted landings was the presence of a US military helicopter en route to the Pentagon.
In a statement, the FAA explained that air traffic control instructed Delta Air Lines Flight 1671 and Republic Airways Flight 5825 to perform a go-around to avoid a collision with a Priority Air Transport (PAT) helicopter destined for the Pentagon.
A go-around, also known as a missed approach, is when an aircraft, just before landing, increases throttle to the maximum position (TO GA) and pulls up the nose to climb back into the air, circle around, and attempt landing again.
This incident occurred against the backdrop of a fatal air crash on January 29th, when American Airlines Flight 5342 collided with a Black Hawk helicopter in the vicinity of Reagan National Airport, resulting in the deaths of 67 people, making it the deadliest aviation accident in the US in 20 years.
Following this tragedy, the FAA implemented permanent restrictions on non-essential helicopter operations around Reagan National Airport, only permitting helicopters for medical emergencies, law enforcement, and presidential transport to fly in specific areas.
The airspace in the Washington, D.C. area is complex, accommodating commercial flights, military helicopters, and government transport, leading to longstanding safety concerns.
The FAA stated that the restrictions on helicopter flights will remain in effect until the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) completes its preliminary investigation into the January 29th accident.
In a statement issued by the NTSB in March, they requested the FAA to prohibit helicopter flights in the vicinity when using runways 15 and 33 at Reagan National Airport and designate alternative helicopter routes. The statement emphasized that these helicopter flights pose “unacceptable risks to aviation safety, increasing the likelihood of mid-air collisions.”