NTSB "urgently" recommends permanent helicopter traffic restrictions near DCA
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A large portion of the damaged plane fuselage is lifted from the Potomac River on Feb. 3 in Arlington, Virginia, during recovery efforts after the American Airlines crash. Photo: Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images
The National Transportation Safety Board "urgently recommended" Tuesday that the Federal Aviation Administration permanently prohibit helicopter traffic near Reagan National Airport when two runways are in use following the deadliest aviation disaster in the U.S. in decades.
The big picture: Reagan National Airport has the nation's busiest runway, while commercial planes and choppers, often carrying top officials, share the nearby airspace. The midair collision that left 67 dead amplified long-held concerns about congestion in the busy skies around DCA.
- Helicopters were temporarily restricted from operating over the Potomac River near DCA after the crash, with some exceptions for medical or law enforcement flights.
Driving the news: The NTSB, in an urgent safety recommendation report, urged the FAA to prohibit helicopters from flying in part of a route near DCA when runways 15 and 33 are in use.
- But the NTSB also noted that it is "critical" for public safety helicopter operations to have a designated alternative route when the runways are being used.
The latest: Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said Tuesday that he will comply with the NTSB's recommendations, with exemptions for VIP and lifesaving missions.
Context: The crash around DCA occurred during the commercial aircraft's final approach to runway 33.
- The NTSB cautioned in its report that helicopters traveling through the Route 4 corridor at the maximum authorized altitude could have just about 75 feet of vertical separation from a plane landing at the runway.
- "[T]he NTSB concludes that existing separation distances between helicopter traffic operating on Route 4 and aircraft landing on runway 33 are insufficient and pose an intolerable risk to aviation safety by increasing the chances of a midair collision," the report read.
NTSB Chair Jennifer Homendy cited "an intolerable risk" during a Tuesday briefing urging the FAA to adopt her board's recommendations.
- While reviewing over 944,100 commercial operations at DCA between October 2021 and December 2024, the NTSB identified over 15,200 occurrences where there was a lateral separation of less than one nautical mile and vertical separation of less than 400 feet between helicopters and commercial planes.
- In half of the near midair collisions, the helicopter may have been above the route's altitude restriction. Two-thirds of the occurrences were at night.
What they're saying: Mary Schiavo, the former inspector general of the Department of Transportation, characterized the NTSB action as "highly unusual" in a statement provided to Axios.
- "The release of an emergency recommendation requesting the FAA take immediate action, before the completion of the NTSB investigation is rare," she said.
Out thought bubble: An incident of this magnitude demands some form of permanent change, but officials often wait for more information from investigators before making any long-term changes in response, Axios aviation expert Alex Fitzpatrick says.
Case in point: In 2006, after a plane carrying New York Yankees pitcher Cory Lidle struck a skyscraper, the FAA tightened restrictions on small planes flying above New York's East River. Lidle and his flight instructor died in the crash.
What they're saying: Secretary Duffy in the days after the crash suggested military chopper missions could be done at "a different time of night." Duffy questioned why officials were being ferried by helicopters for "convenience" in the area — calling it unacceptable.
- "Get in a damn Suburban and drive," he said at a Feb. 5 press conference.
- Duffy added, "We need a whole upgrade of the airspace."
Go deeper: How American Airlines communicated through tragedy
Editor's note: This story has been updated with additional statements.
