Two industrial plane have been ordered to abort landings at Reagan Nationwide Airport on Thursday after a U.S. Military Black Hawk helicopter entered airspace close to the runway whereas en path to the Pentagon.
Delta Air Traces Flight 1671, arriving from Orlando, and Republic Airways Flight 5825, arriving from Boston, have been each directed to perform go-arounds by air site visitors management at roughly 2:30 p.m. native time.
“A UH-60 Blackhawk was directed by Pentagon Air Visitors Management to conduct a ‘go-around,’ overflying the Pentagon helipad in accordance with authorized flight procedures,” stated US Military spokesperson Capt. Victoria Goldfedib in a press release.
”In consequence, DCA Air Visitors Management issued a ‘go-around’ to 2 civil mounted wing plane to make sure the suitable deconfliction of airspace.”
“America Military stays dedicated to aviation security and conducting flight operations inside all authorized pointers and procedures,” she stated.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the Nationwide Transportation Security Board (NTSB) have opened an investigation into the incident.
Each Delta and Republic Airways have confirmed their cooperation with the inquiry.
The incident follows a deadly mid-air collision on the similar airport on January 29, when an Military Black Hawk struck an American Airways regional jet throughout its descent.
All 67 people aboard the 2 plane have been killed, together with Captain Rachel Lobach, her co-pilot, and a 3rd passenger on the helicopter.
Lobach was present process a routine flight analysis on the time of the crash.
The industrial plane, American Airways Flight 5342, was descending towards Runway 33 at roughly 300 toes when the collision occurred.
Lobach had been serving as an aviation officer since July 2019 and had logged roughly 500 hours flying Black Hawks.
There stay main questions on her dealing with of the scenario and whether or not she was totally complying with the required security protocols.
The @nytimes story on the January DC aircraft crash hides its takeaway till the final sentences: the girl helicopter pilot ignored a number of warnings from her proper seat about altitude (and his immediately telling her to show away) and flew straight right into a passenger jet.
The top. Ugh. pic.twitter.com/7emtYkZTwQ
— Alex Berenson (@AlexBerenson) April 27, 2025
U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy on Friday condemned the near-miss incidentst as “unacceptable.”
Duffy stated each the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and Nationwide Transportation Security Board (NTSB) are investigating the occasion.
He additionally acknowledged that he’ll communicate with the Division of Protection to grasp why established protocols weren’t adopted.
“Security should ALWAYS come first,” Duffy posted on X.
“We simply misplaced 67 souls! No extra helicopter rides for VIPs or pointless coaching in a congested DCA airspace stuffed with civilians. Take a taxi or Uber — moreover most VIPs have black automobile service.”
Unacceptable. Our helicopter restrictions round DCA are crystal clear. Along with investigations from @NTSB and @FAANews, I’ll be speaking to the @DeptofDefense to ask why the hell our guidelines have been disregarded.
Security should ALWAYS come first. We simply misplaced 67 souls! No extra… https://t.co/7ijmc8MW8v
— Secretary Sean Duffy (@SecDuffy) May 2, 2025
