After Another Near Miss at DCA, Army Suspends Helicopter Flights
Three months after a devastating midair collision at Washington National Airport (DCA), another alarming incident involving a U.S. Army Black Hawk helicopter and two Delta Air Lines flights has prompted the military to ground its flights over the nation’s capital…at least for now.
The May 1st incident involved an Army helicopter reportedly deviating from its standard route to the Pentagon and instead taking a “scenic route,” flying dangerously close to commercial airspace. That unauthorized maneuver forced two inbound Delta Air Lines flights, one from Orlando and another from Boston, to abort their landings at DCA. The FAA classified both as “loss of separation” events, with aircraft briefly coming closer than federal regulations allow.
Let’s not mince words: this could have been another disaster. One of the jets descended as low as 450 feet before being told to go around. Thankfully, unlike January’s fatal crash, air traffic controllers were able to see the helicopter’s position in real time thanks to its ADS-B transponder being enabled. Still, it was far too close for comfort. It has since emerged, though, that the maneuver may have been ordered by the Pentagon Air Traffic Control, which operates on a different frequency than DCA’s control tower.
US Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy took to X to voice his anger: “Unacceptable. Our helicopter restrictions around DCA are crystal clear.” As I covered last week, he went on to say that VIPs and unnecessary training flights have no place in such congested, civilian-controlled airspace. “Take a taxi or an Uber,” he quipped. “Most VIPs have black car service anyway.”
Following the incident, the Army announced it would suspend flights by the 12th Aviation Battalion (the very same unit involved in the January collision). Both the FAA and the NTSB have launched investigations.
> Read More: Trump Official Slams Military After Army Helicopter Nearly Collides With Delta Jets At DCA
CONCLUSION
It’s hard to overstate how sensitive and complicated the airspace over D.C. is. But that’s exactly why these incidents are so troubling. This is now the second safety breach (that we know of) in just a few months involving military aircraft operating near a major commercial airport. One was one too many…
It seems clear that need tighter coordination, clearer restrictions, and accountability. Otherwise, the next close call might not end with everyone walking away. I’m glad that the Army has suspended helicopter missions around the Pentagon, and I hope that suspension will not be temporary in nature.
Helicopters and airplanes will never mix well . Each is a certain danger to each other , as well as to themselves .
Send the airlines to Dulles . Problem solved .
How about we treat military brass like public employees and less like maharajas and make them get in their own car like everyone else and keep DCA open?
Problem solved.
Exactly.
I’d like to believe this, but they were supposed to be limiting helicopter flights after the AA crash. At least that tragedy helped shine a much-needed light on DoD fat and waste. As Duffy says, if generals and other “VIPs” need to get to/from the Pentagon, they can get in a frigging car like everyone else. There’s lots of low-hanging fruit for DOGE at the Pentagon. From the exorbitant housing allowances for officers to the perks like drivers and private cars for top brass to the flying boondoggles that are the Blue Angels and the Thunderbirds, it’s way past time to run our military more like a business and less like a country club.
As a former USAF Reservist, yes indeed!
do tell.
learning more every day
Wouldn’t that be a “near hit”?
Matt, off topic somewhat, but when you worked in the Bush WH, by any chance did you know my friend Chris B.? He worked under Dana in the Press Secretary office and was a speechwriter for GW.
Chris B or Chris M?
Definitely B, didn’t want to post his full name, later went to work for Fox. True Republican, like you, not a Trump guy.
I guess not, but if you want to email me his name, I can look him up in the Bush Alumni archive I have access to. I googled and don’t see it…I’m interested if it’s just a name I’m glossing over and might recognize.
Duffy better get this under control, because Johnny Bananas is lining up to take his job
the real question is where things broke down.
Is someone higher up trying to work around previous orders, is someone in lower level Army leadership not training its people, or are some helicopter pilots disregarding orders they were given?
I know if someone gets thrown under the bus, where the blame will lie but there needs to be accountability all the way up the chain – and I suspect some whistleblowers will start coming out of the woodwork -as they should – if there is intentional disregarding of FAA orders.
and let’s not forget these are HELICOPTERS. They can fly places where fixed wing aircraft cannot. A 3 minute longer helicopter trip over populated areas is a small price to pay IF there really is an operational need.
The military is afraid to say that these operations just aren’t necessary.
Clearly whoever is in charge of the helicopters, the base and everyone attached do not care in the slightest about the wellbeing of the people paying their salary. They only care about their inconvenience.
In a sane government every person in that chain of command would be sacked today.
But that’s not what is going to happen. Because the people in the army running this do not care.
they were still doing vip stuff as of sunday night! LOLzor I guess they halt all planes when viping now so that’s an improvement!