NTSB Investigates Aborted Landings: The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has launched an investigation into two aborted landings at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, which occurred on Thursday when a U.S. Army Black Hawk helicopter was flying nearby en route to the Pentagon. The commercial flights involved were Delta Flight 1671 and Republic Flight 5825, both of which were instructed by air traffic controllers to perform “go-arounds”—a maneuver in which an aircraft discontinues its landing approach and circles back for another attempt.
These maneuvers were necessary due to the proximity of the Army helicopter, classified as a Priority Air Transport vehicle, which was heading toward the Pentagon Army Heliport at approximately 2:30 p.m. ET. The FAA confirmed that the helicopter’s approach path brought it dangerously close to the flight corridor used by incoming commercial jets. This incident comes amid heightened scrutiny of helicopter activity near the airport following the fatal January 29 midair collision between another Army Black Hawk and American Airlines Flight 5342. That earlier crash resulted in the deaths of 67 people and raised serious concerns about coordination and safety within controlled airspace.
Senator Maria Cantwell of Washington, the ranking Democrat on the Senate committee that oversees the FAA, responded with sharp criticism. She condemned the military’s conduct and highlighted the alarming fact that the same Army aviation brigade involved in the January tragedy was again operating in close proximity to commercial aircraft. She emphasized that this near-miss occurred only days after that same unit had resumed flight operations in the region.
Republican Senator Ted Cruz, who chairs the Senate Commerce Committee, also voiced concern, suggesting that legislative action may be necessary to prevent military helicopters from endangering civilian flights. Cruz criticized what he described as unnecessary helicopter transport for military officials and called for the FAA to take decisive control of national airspace to protect the flying public.
According to information shared with Congress, Delta Flight 1671 came within 0.89 miles horizontally and 400 feet vertically of the helicopter, while Republic Flight 5825 was even closer—just 0.4 miles horizontally and 200 feet vertically. These distances are dangerously small in aviation terms, especially during the critical phase of final approach to landing.
A preliminary FAA report presented to lawmakers stated that the Black Hawk did not proceed directly to the Pentagon Heliport from the west as expected. Instead, it followed what was described as a “scenic route” around the Pentagon, raising questions about the purpose and planning of its flight path. Notably, the report also confirmed that the helicopter was operating outside the temporary flight restrictions put in place by the FAA following the January crash.
Still on NTSB Investigates Aborted Landings
The Black Hawk involved in Thursday’s incident belonged to the 12th Aviation Battalion based at Fort Belvoir, Virginia—the same unit that operated the helicopter involved in the fatal January accident over the Potomac River. As of now, the U.S. Army has not issued a public statement in response to the latest incident, though CNN has reached out for comment.
The flight path near Reagan National has become a major focus for federal transportation and aviation safety authorities. After the January crash, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, following the NTSB’s recommendation, implemented a ban on helicopter flights over a four-mile corridor of the Potomac River, traditionally used by both military and civilian aircraft. While Thursday’s Black Hawk flight did not violate that specific restriction, its proximity to commercial jets still posed a serious threat.
In an interview with CNN, Secretary Duffy suggested the Pentagon should consider relying more on ground transportation to move personnel, particularly in and around sensitive airspace, to reduce risk.
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