In a significant response to growing safety concerns, the U.S. Army has temporarily halted helicopter flights near Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport after two commercial airliners were forced to abort landings due to the presence of a military helicopter operating in the area.
The incidents occurred last Thursday and involved a Delta Air Lines Airbus A319 and a Republic Airways Embraer E170, according to the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB).
The pause was ordered by the commander of the 12th Aviation Battalion, whose helicopters frequently shuttle top Pentagon officials around the Washington, D.C., area.
Two Army officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, confirmed to the Associated Press on Monday that flight operations around Reagan Airport have been suspended since Friday, though operations elsewhere in the region continue.
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The decision reflects heightened scrutiny following a deadly crash earlier this year involving an Army helicopter near the same airport.
In January, a Black Hawk helicopter operating under the 12th Aviation Battalion collided midair with a passenger jet at Reagan, resulting in 67 fatalities—the deadliest midair collision in the U.S. in more than two decades.
That tragic incident led the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to ban helicopters from flying in the same airspace as commercial aircraft near Reagan Airport. Despite that change, Thursday's near-misses have reignited fears over the dense and complex air traffic patterns that characterize the airspace around the nation’s capital.
According to an emailed statement from the FAA, both the Delta and Republic Airways flights were instructed by air traffic control to "perform go-arounds" due to the presence of a “priority air transport” helicopter.
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These priority transports, such as the UH-60 Black Hawk involved in the January crash, are used to move senior defense officials swiftly across the region.
Following the most recent close call, the Army defended the Black Hawk’s actions.
“The UH-60 Blackhawk was following published FAA flight routes and air traffic control from Reagan airport when it was ‘directed by Pentagon Air Traffic Control to conduct a go-around,’ overflying the Pentagon helipad in accordance with approved flight procedures,” the Army said in a statement.
Nevertheless, aviation officials and safety advocates remain uneasy.
The NTSB and FAA have both launched investigations into last week’s events, and broader concerns persist about the safety of helicopter operations in such congested airspace.
The NTSB, in the wake of the January disaster, criticized the FAA for not acting sooner, noting an "alarming number of close calls" near Reagan in recent years.
Adding to the sense of urgency, the FAA reported that three separate commercial flights had to abort landings on Sunday due to another helicopter in the area—this time a police chopper on an urgent mission.
All three flights landed safely on their second approaches, but the frequency of such events highlights the challenge of managing overlapping air traffic priorities in one of the country’s busiest and most security-sensitive flight zones.
Prior to the pause in flights, the 12th Aviation Battalion had just resumed operations after a safety stand-down following the January crash.
According to an internal Army document viewed by the AP, the unit had planned to gradually ramp up its flight activity over the next four weeks.
But that plan is now on hold as investigators review the latest incidents and assess whether additional measures are needed to prevent future conflicts in the air.
The broader context of aviation safety in the U.S. also remains a concern.
On Monday, across the country at Newark Liberty International Airport in New Jersey, passengers faced extended delays due to a combination of air traffic controller shortages and thick cloud cover, with incoming flights delayed by nearly four hours.
As for the situation in Washington, it remains unclear when Army helicopter flights near Reagan Airport will resume.
Reuters was the first to report on the flight pause, and officials have not indicated a firm timeline for lifting the suspension.
With federal investigations underway and scrutiny intensifying, it’s evident that military and civilian aviation authorities will need to work closely to ensure that safety is not compromised in the complex airspace above the capital.
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