FAA Restricts Helicopter Flights Near Washington Reagan Airport
The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration has introduced permanent safety measures restricting helicopter operations near Washington National Airport following the January 29 midair collision between a U.S. Army Black Hawk helicopter and a PSA Airlines CRJ700. The crash, which occurred near Washington Reagan National Airport (DCA), resulted in 67 fatalities.
The FAA has now banned non-essential helicopter flights in the vicinity of Washington Reagan. Route 4, a helicopter corridor between Hains Point and the Wilson Bridge, has been permanently closed. Military helicopter operations to and from the Pentagon heliport have also been suspended pending new coordination protocols.
FAA Acting Administrator Chris Rocheleau stated the agency is negotiating a formal agreement with the Army to govern future military flight operations near commercial traffic at Reagan. The FAA has also redesigned the airspace near DCA, retracting Zones 3 and 4 to move them away from approach paths used by commercial aircraft.
Additional safety measures include eliminating visual separation in favor of instrument flight rules, increasing staffing levels at DCA, and launching a dedicated Safety Risk Management Plan to monitor and mitigate threats.
U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy has called for an independent audit by the Department of Transportation’s Office of Inspector General (DOT OIG) to examine FAA oversight and airspace design in the National Capital Region.
A letter from Senate Commerce Committee members urged the DOT OIG to investigate whether FAA decisions and existing airspace structures contributed to the fatal accident and to evaluate the effectiveness of the DC Helicopter Working Group.
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Sources: AirGuide Business airguide.info, bing.com, ch-aviation.com