Airplane pilots narrowly avoided disaster near the Ronald Reagan National Airport this week, following the crash from earlier this year that killed 67 people.
Back in January, a military Blackhawk helicopter collided with an American Airlines passenger flight, leaving no survivors. The catastrophe led to the Federal Aviation Administration announcing that helicopters would be restricted from flying near the airport, but it doesn’t appear that it’s made a difference.
According to statements from the FAA and the National Transportation Safety Board, two airplanes were forced to undertake “go-arounds” this past Thursday to avoid another collision with a similar chopper.
The administration has also revealed that the Blackhawk involved in the near collision was a Priority Air Transport aircraft, while the other planes were a Delta Airlines Airbus A319 and a Republic Airways Embraer E170.
Senate Member Expresses Frustration Over Incident Taking Place Just 3 Months Removed From The Fatal Potomac River Crash
There’s not much information on what could have been another major tragedy, but people are calling for the airport to be closed.
Maria Cantwell, a member of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, has expressed frustration over the incident.
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“It is outrageous that only three months after an Army Black Hawk helicopter tragically collided with a passenger jet, the same Army brigade again flew a helicopter too close to passenger jets on final approach at DCA,” she said, per Fox News Digital.
FAA assistant administrator for government and industry affairs, Chris Senn, said in a statement that the aircraft involved in Thursday’s close call were not within the restricted mixed traffic area near the airport. Still, the FAA will investigate whether the Army violated its flight approvals.
The NTSB is also investigating the matter.
