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US Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy expressed that it is “unacceptable” for two commercial planes to have to cancel their landings at a Washington airport recently due to a Black Hawk helicopter from the Army heading to the Pentagon.
Aside from the National Transportation Safety Board and the Federal Aviation Administration looking into the incident that occurred on Thursday afternoon, Duffy mentioned his intention to speak with the Department of Defense to find out why regulations were “ignored.”
The situation at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport involved a Delta Air Lines Airbus A319 and a Republic Airways Embraer E170, as reported by the NTSB.
They were instructed around 2.30pm (local time) by air traffic control to âperform go-aroundsâ because of a âpriority air transportâ helicopter, according to a statement from the FAA.
âSafety must ALWAYS come first,â Duffy said on the social platform X.
âWe 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 â besides most VIPs have black car service.â
The aborted landings follow a deadly midair collision in January between a passenger jet and Army helicopter in Washington that killed 67 people.
In March, the FAA announced that helicopters would be permanently restricted from flying near Washingtonâs airport on the same route where the collision occurred.
It wasn’t immediately clear if the helicopter flying Thursday was in the restricted area.
The FAA, which manages the nationâs airspace and oversees aviation safety, has come under criticism after the NTSB said there had been an alarming number of near misses in recent years in the congested skies around Reagan National.
The closure of the helicopter route near the airport makes permanent the restrictions put in place after the January 29 midair collision.
The FAA order includes a few exceptions for helicopter use, including presidential flights along with law enforcement and lifesaving missions.
Democratic Senator Maria Cantwell, ranking member of the Commerce Committee, which oversees the FAA, said about the Thursday incident that âit is far past time” for Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth and the FAA to “give our airspace the security and safety attention it deserves.â
Emma Johnson, a spokesperson for Delta Air Lines, said that the safety of their customers and all people is most important and that they’ll “cooperate with authorities as they investigate.â
Republic Airways said in a statement that it is also cooperating with the investigations.
The US Army did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
