USA Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has imposed a ban on helicopter flights around Reagan National Airport.
According to international media reports, the FAA implemented this indefinite restriction following a severe accident. It involved an American Airlines plane and a military helicopter near Washington’s Reagan National Airport.
An FAA official stated that authorities permit only police and medical helicopters to operate in the airspace between the airport and nearby routes.
The official further mentioned that the restrictions specifically impact Route 1 and Route 4 in the vicinity of the airport.
Todd Inman, an investigator with the NTSB, said preliminary data indicate the helicopter was changing course from Route 1 to Route 4 at the time of the collision.
He said the helicopter operation within the Washington, DC area of USA is systematized and regulated.
According to a 2021 government report, there are about 11,000 military helicopter flights per year within a 30-mile radius of Reagan National Airport.
It is also worth mentioning that just a few days ago, a collision between a passenger aircraft and a helicopter resulted in 67 fatalities.
Earlier,
A tragic collision involving an American Airlines flight and a military helicopter resulted in both aircraft crashing into the Potomac River near Washington, D.C. Wednesday evening.
The passenger plane, which had 64 people on board, was arriving from Wichita, Kansas, while the helicopter carried three personnel from the U.S. Army.
Authorities have confirmed that there are no survivors from either aircraft, with at least 28 bodies recovered as of Thursday morning.
The incident occurred near Reagan National Airport, prompting a large-scale rescue operation, involving various first responder teams.
Although investigations are ongoing, officials have clarified that both aircraft were operating within standard flight patterns and that there was no communication breakdown.
