2 planes were ordered to ‘go around’ because of  Army copter near Reagan Airport
Share this @internewscast.com

Two commercial aircrafts approaching Ronald Reagan National Airport were instructed to perform “go-arounds” on Thursday due to an Army helicopter, officials said. This event occurred three months following a mid-air accident that resulted in 67 fatalities.

On Friday, U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy announced he would seek explanations from the Pentagon regarding the Black Hawk helicopter flight which caused Delta Air Lines and Republic Airways planes to halt their landings.

Duffy expressed his dissatisfaction on X, stating, “Unacceptable. Our helicopter restrictions around DCA are crystal clear,” referring to the airport by its Federal Aviation Agency designation.

No one was hurt in the incident, which occurred around 2:30 p.m.

U.S. Army spokesperson Capt. Victoria Goldfedib said that the UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter was “conducting flight operations into the Pentagon in accordance with published FAA flight routes and DCA Air Traffic Control” when it was told to go around by Pentagon Air Traffic Control.

The two commercial flights were then told to go around rather than land to ensure no conflicts in the airspace, Goldfedib said.

“The incident is currently under investigation. The United States Army remains committed to aviation safety and conducting flight operations within all approved guidelines and procedures,” she said.

The National Transportation Safety Board and the Federal Aviation ministration said they are investigating the incident.

The helicopter had no passengers, but two pilots and a crew chief were on board, two U.S. officials said. It was flying below 200 feet as it rehearsed a Joint Emergency Evacuation Plan, two officials told NBC, practicing approaches as part of the return to flight training operations.

Helicopters generally are not permitted to fly above 200 feet near Reagan, under FAA rules.

On Jan. 29, an American Eagle commercial plane and a Black Hawk helicopter collided in mid-air above the Potomac River near the airport, killing the 64 people aboard the jet and the three people aboard the helicopter.

The crash raised questions about the congested airspace around Ronald Reagan National Airport, which is in Arlington, Virginia, near Washington.

In that case, investigators have evidence that the helicopter involved in the mid-air collision was higher than the 200-foot ceiling, NTSB chair Jennifer Homendy said in February.

The NTSB has has said it wants to severely restrict helicopter traffic near the airport, arguing that there’s an “intolerable risk to aviation safety.”

Share this @internewscast.com
You May Also Like

Historic Impersonation: ‘Abraham Lincoln’ Found Guilty in Shocking East Tennessee Manslaughter Case

A Tennessee man has been sentenced to a prison term ranging from…

Rubio and Orbán Convene in Budapest Ahead of US-Hungary Civilian Nuclear Agreement Signing

BUDAPEST – On Monday, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio arrived in…

Central Florida Storm Forecast: Detailed Hourly Timeline of Upcoming Weather Conditions

ORLANDO, Fla. – Residents of northwestern counties are facing a level-two risk…

FBI Links DNA from Glove Found Near Guthrie Residence to Suspect

In a development that has left authorities working around the clock, investigators…

Europe Stands Firm: Debunking the US Myth of ‘Civilizational Erasure

MUNICH – A leading European Union figure on Sunday dismissed claims that…

Firefighters Battle Expanding 31-Acre Wildfire on Clinch Mountain in Grainger County

BLAINE, Tenn. (WATE) — Over the weekend, firefighters battled a wildfire that…

Tennessee Lawmakers Advocate for Tax Relief: Waiving Hotel Occupancy Taxes for Displaced Families

In the aftermath of Middle Tennessee’s unprecedented ice storm, the Wear family…

PHOTO GALLERY: Intense 4-Alarm Fire, Ignited by Brush Blaze, Engulfs Osceola County Business

OSCEOLA COUNTY, Fla. – A fierce four-alarm fire tore through a business…

Live Radar Update: What Central Florida Residents Need to Know About the Increased Severe Storm Threat

ORLANDO, Fla. – The eagerly anticipated Daytona 500 was able to cross…