The National Transportation Safety Board on Tuesday issued “urgent recommendations” that the Federal Aviation Administration prohibit helicopters from using the route an Army Blackhawk was taking when it collided with a passenger plane near Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport in January.
The recommendations, issued along with the NTSB’s preliminary report, are among the first findings of an ongoing investigation at the board and the FAA. The crash killed all 60 passengers and four crewmembers on the plane, as well as three soldiers operating the helicopter.
The preliminary report attributed a congested airspace and risky helicopter routes surrounding the airport as a probable cause. NTSB Chair Jennifer Homendy said the investigation revealed that some routes only provide 75 feet of clearance between those aircraft and commercial planes.
“Seventy-five feet is very close, that is far too close of proximity,” Homendy said at a news briefing. “We have stated it’s an intolerable risk to aviation safety, and we have called on [the Transportation Department and Federal Aviation Administration] to take action.”
Homendy added that from 2021 to 2024, there were 15,240 instances of “close proximity events” between commercial airplanes and helicopters in which there was a lateral separation distance of less than one nautical mile and vertical separation of less than 400 feet around DCA.
Homendy praised Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy for “swift action” following the crash by restricting some helicopter traffic from operating over the Potomac River. She added that she now hopes the FAA will take a “more permanent solution” by shutting down the helicopter route used during the crash and proposing an alternate one.
The crash also sparked concerns about the air traffic controller shortage and outdated systems. Homendy said the board is analyzing the impact that controller staffing had on the event.
[Related: Crash sheds light on strained workforce controlling the skies]
President Donald Trump initially pointed to diversity-based hiring practices as a potential cause and signed a memo after the crash calling for a review of all hiring decisions and safety protocols over the past four years. Trump later told Congress to send him legislation to overhaul the air traffic control system, saying it would require “not too much money.”
On top of that, Duffy said last month the FAA will increase controllers’ starting salaries by 30 percent and will aim to streamline the hiring process. Duffy added that Congress will also need to spend “billions” to upgrade outdated air traffic controller technology.
“Aviation is incredibly safe. DCA is where I always fly out of, and I say often that your biggest risk is in your personal vehicle when you’re going to and from the aircraft at the airport,” Homendy said. “However, there are safety issues in areas where we need to improve to make sure that we are at zero.”
In a news conference following the report’s release, Duffy said the FAA will extend the flight restrictions on that helicopter route, with some exceptions, and will deploy artificial intelligence to help the agency identify other congestion hot spots.
Duffy added that the FAA will also update radar systems, terminals and other technologies. He said he will share a plan with Congress over the next few weeks to fund the upgrades.
“We are in an environment where there’s a lot of cost cutting, we’re looking for savings everywhere in the government. And that’s appropriate,” he said. “But that doesn’t mean we don’t see points that need investment, and this is a place that we need investment.”
Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation ranking member Maria Cantwell, D-Wash., on Tuesday said in a statement that Congress should adopt bipartisan legislation addressing FAA oversight of these helicopters and work with the White House to modernize equipment.
“The NTSB report provides ample data that this helicopter route and the commercial aviation landing route never should have been allowed to co-exist. A permanent restriction of this helicopter route needs to be urgently implemented by the FAA today,” she said. “The data also raises serious questions as to how such a route was allowed to continue when alarm bells were literally going off.”
