Chair Homendy calls the close proximity an “intolerable risk to aviation safety.”
This week, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) “urgently recommended” that the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) permanently prohibit helicopter traffic around the Reagan National Airport while runways 15 and 33 are in use.
The NTSB is still compiling its final report on the deadly helicopter crash that killed 67 people above Reagan National Airport in late January but issued this safety recommendation report before completing its full report. While the FAA has already issued a temporary ban on nearby helicopter traffic during the busy airport’s peak hours of operation, the emergency recommendation advocates for making that policy permanent.
Investigators reported that planes receiving alerts regarding helicopters in close proximity occurred more than 15,000 times between October 2021 and December 2024. NTSB Chair Jennifer Homendy called the proximity of the helicopter route to the final approach path for DCA’s runway 33 “an intolerable risk to aviation safety by increasing the chance of a midair collision.”
As the Lord Leads, Pray with Us…
- For Chair Homendy as she heads the NTSB and issues recommendations to the FAA.
- For Acting Administrator Christopher Rocheleau as he oversees the FAA.
- For Secretary Duffy as he heads the Transportation Department and coordinates federal agencies as they seek to increase air traffic safety.
Sources: Axios, CNN, Fox News
