Just months after a fatal runway collision at Washington National Airport (DCA), another close call has raised serious concerns about airspace safety. In an alarming Army helicopter near miss at DCA, a US Army Black Hawk entered restricted airspace during a training flight, forcing two inbound Delta Air Lines jets to perform go-arounds. The air traffic control emergency triggered outrage from the Trump administration transportation official, who is now demanding accountability from the Department of Defense and a reevaluation of military flight operations over the nation’s capital.
Army Helicopter Forces Two Delta Go-Arounds Near DCA, Sparks FAA and NTSB Investigations
Just three months after the DCA became the site of the worst aviation fatality in more than two decades in the United States, an Army helicopter impermissbably flying in a restricted zone forced two inbound commerical flights to perofrm go-around manuvers. The incident occured on May 1, 2025.
Per an interal Federal Aviation Adminstration memo obtained by Politico, the helicopter, perofrming a training mission, took “a scenic route around the Pentagon versus proceeding directly from the west to the heliport.” During that frolic, two “loss of separation” events occured (meaning there was a breach of minimum separation standards for aircraft in the same airspace):
- Delta flight 5825, from Boston (BOS) and operated by a Republic Airways Embraer EMB-170, was instructed to perform a go-around on final approach, having already descened to 450 feet
- Delta flight 1671, from Orlando (MCO) and operated by an Airbus A319, was instructed to perform a go-around on final approach, having already descened to 750 feet
At one point, there was only 200 feet of vertical separation and about 2,100 feet of horizontal separation between the Army helicopter and the Delta EMB-170. That is unacceptably close.
Unlike the fatal January crash, air traffic controllers could see the Black Hawk’s tracking position in real-time on their radar screens because the ADS-B (Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast) transponder was enabled. That may have averted another disaster.
US Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy was not happy about the incidents, taking to X to voice his disgust:
Unacceptable. Our helicopter restrictions around DCA are crystal clear. In addition to investigations from NTSB and FAA, I’ll be talking to the DOD 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.
It’s not clear why Duffy made the “VIP” comment since this is thought to have been a training flight, not VIP transport.
Both the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) and FAA are investgiating, with the NSB saying:
“NTSB investigating Thursday’s incidents at Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA) in which a Delta Air Lines Airbus A319 and a Republic Airways Embraer E170 were instructed by air traffic control to perform go-arounds due to a U.S. Army Black Hawk helicopter inbound to the Pentagon.”
This appears to be the same Army detachment that was responsible for the January disater and if so, it is astounding how this could have happened again. Why must traning missions take place over busy meroiplian areas like Washington, DC? If it was, as Dufy suggests, VIP transport, then why is such expense even necessary?
CONCLUSION
An Army Black Hawk helicopter–the same type that crashed into an Aemrican Eagle jet in January–forced two Delta flights to go around at DCA, coming dangeorusly close at one point.
Thankfully, there was no trajedy this time, but this must be a wake-up call to demand more accountablity over the utilziation of this airspace and perhaps even ban helicopters altoghter.
What do you make of this latest incident around DCA?
Unbelievable.
time for heads to roll
Its like some in the military deep state are doing this on purpose
It’s more likely that some military pilots are either arrogant, incompetent, or some combination thereof.
Either bring the military pilots to heel, or close DCA & move everything out to Dulles.
@Pete … +1 . Just move commercial to Dulles , where it ought to have been in the first place .
why should 26 million passengers per year be forced to move to a far less convenient and uglier airport because the military can’t properly train and control its pilots?
The Sec’y of the DOT got it right that it is unacceptable for this to be happening just weeks after the disaster caused by the same military unit.
Exactly @Tim Dunn. If anything, shut down the disaster that is Dulles. Get rid of the range restriction on DCA
Please run spellcheck before uploading..!!
How about government official instead of Trump official? Maybe you wanted some clicks?
Whoever said it was correct (it could have even been a Democratic appointee- you didn’t name him or her).
This is dangerous airspace where helicopters shouldn’t be wandering.
Oops my bad you did. Hopefully a Dem would have said the same thing.
Drunk Secretary of Defense too busy doing Fox News clips to manage the agency.
The VIP quip is about cabinet secretaries taking helicopters to Andrews for Af1 flights. There was a story about Burgum doing this not too long ago.
We didn’t have these aviation disasters under Biden…
These types of helicopter flights have existed for decades and there were near misses.
It isn’t partisan – it is a complete lack of willingness to manage risk.
The military is afraid or unwilling to clean house to stop practices that everyone knows is unsafe.
Biden, Kamala and Mayor Pete had FOUR YEARS to replace the antiquated equipment in our ATCs and hire enough air traffic controllers and did NOTHING, aside from forcing ridiculous DEI rules on the hiring, which made matters worse and is now being litigated. You really should quit while you’re behind.
I’m not buying the DEI bit, but indeed Biden had four yeras…Trump had four years before him…Obama had eight years before him…Bush had eight years…and nothing got done. This has been a probelm for more than a quarter century.
Let’s not forget about the female Army helicopter pilot who was a Biden aide and LGBT who ignored instructions before the crash. Before her name was released, her accounts were scrubbed from the internet. Trump was right to blame DEI.
The military is big government bureaucracy like the rest.
WTF is it necessary to have helicopter training flights anywhere near a commercial airport? Certainly you can find a designated region in the country where no plane would be <X feet and helicopters aren't permitted near that altitude.
U.S. Army Aviation Training has obviously suffered because focused on the wrong things. I would like to know the flight hours of this pilot. Who is the commander of this U.S. Army Aviation unit? Someone new or are they the same one in which these pilots are attached to? The other U.S. Army pilot who crashed into the commercial airliner that killed so many Americans, apparently ignored the verbal command of her instructor pilot and he should have taken over the controls when she failed to do so. They can do that. There are a set of 2 controls on these U.S. Army helicopters in both cases. The Instructor Pilot even though lower in rank is the Pilot-in-Command (PIC) and he has all authority and control of their flight. It would seem the U.S. Army not only needs to focus on more training for their pilots and Instructor Pilots.
What the hell is perofrming? It appears a couple of times in the article. Spell check ain’t workin’?
If generals and other top brass want to get to the Pentagon, they should get in their car and drive there, like everyone else. If they don’t like it, they can leave and go work in the private sector. And as far as the “training flights,” am not seeing why these can’t be done in the overnight hours, when DCA is shut down. I highly suspect you could count the number of actual, necessary helicopter flights per week to/from/around the Pentagon on one hand.
Bravo. Agreed.