Helicopter Ban Needed To Prevent Reagan Airport Collisions: NTSB

WASHINGTON, DC — Two urgent recommendations that would ban some helicopter flights near Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport should be adopted by federal officials to improve safety in the aftermath of the Jan. 29 crash that killed 67 people, the National Transportation Safety Board said Tuesday.

Currently, helicopters and planes can be as close as 75 feet apart from each other during landing, NTSB Chair Jennifer Homendy, during a Tuesday afternoon news conference. Investigators have identified 15,214 instances of planes getting alerts about helicopters being in close proximity between October 2021 and December 2024, she said.

“We've determined that the existing separation distances between helicopter traffic operating on Route Four and aircraft landing on Runway Three are insufficient and pose an intolerable risk to aviation safety by increasing the chances of a midair collision at DCA,” Homendy said.

Due to this potential risk, NTSB recommended that FAA permanently prohibit operations on helicopter Route Four between Hains Point and the Wilson Bridge, when runways one, five and three are being used for departures and arrivals at Reagan National Airport.

Because a total closure of helicopter Route Four would restrict law enforcement actions, Coast Guard patrols, and continuity of government operations, the NTSB also recommended the FAA designate an alternative helicopter route for travel between Hains Point and the Wilson Bridge when that segment of Route Four is closed.

“We believe a critical safety issue must be addressed without delay for this investigation,” Homendy said. “Urgent recommendations require immediate action to prevent similar accidents or incidents.”

Homendy said she was angry and devastated for families that are grieving because they lost loved ones.

“It shouldn’t take tragedy to require immediate action,” she said.

The NTSB recommendations are included in a newly released report concerning the investigation into the midair collision between a PSA Airlines Bombardier CRJ700 airplane and a U.S. Army Sikorsky UH-60L Black Hawk helicopter over the Potomac River.

From 2011 through 2024, a vast majority of close encounters reported between helicopters and commercial aircraft near Reagan National occurred on approach to landing, Homendy said.

“Initial analysis found that at least one traffic alert and collision avoidance system was triggered per month from 2011 through 2024 at DCA due to proximity to a helicopter.”

Traffic alerts are issued when an intruding aircraft is about 20 seconds from the closest point of approach, or 0.3 nautical miles, whichever occurs first, according to Homendy. These alerts meant that there was a possibility of a collision and that immediate action needed to be taken.

“In over half of the encounters we reviewed again from 2011 through 2024, the helicopter may have been above the route altitude restriction,” she said. “Two-thirds of the events occurred at night.

NTSB determined that between October 2021 and December 2024 there were a total of 944,179 commercial operations at DCA. Over that same period, there were 15,214 close proximity events between commercial aircraft and helicopters in which there was a lateral separation distance of less than 1 nautical mile and vertical separation of less than 400 feet. There were also 85 recorded events that involved a lateral separation of less than 1,500 feet and vertical separation of less than 200 feet.

As a result of the January collision, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy restricted helicopter traffic from operating over the Potomac River at DCA until March 31.

“As that deadline nears, we remain concerned about the significant potential for a future midair collision at DCA, which is why we are recommending a permanent solution today,” Homendy said.

Related:

• Plane Aborts Landing In Near-Miss At Reagan Airport
• All 67 Victims Of DC Plane Crash Recovered From The Potomac
• DC Plane Crash Updates: New Details On Crash Timeline, Victims
• Who Was On Flight That Crashed Into Potomac: What We Know So Far

The Associated Press contributed to this story.