NTSB Calls for Helicopter Ban Near Certain Runways at Reagan Airport in Wake of Deadly Collision

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy has also restricted helicopter traffic from operating over the Potomac River at DCA until March 31.

Chair of the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) Jennifer Homendy speaks during a news conference at the headquarters of NTSB in Washington on March 11, 2025, Alex Wong/Getty Images

Helicopter operations should be banned near certain runways at Washington’s Ronald Reagan National Airport, according to officials on Tuesday.

National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) Chair Jennifer Homendy said during a press conference that the agency is pushing for permanent changes following the deadly mid-air collision at DCA earlier this year. This includes prohibiting helicopter operations when runways 15 and 33 at DCA are being used.

“We’ve determined that the existing separation distances between helicopter traffic operating on Route 4 and aircraft landing on Runway 33 are insufficient and pose an intolerable risk to aviation safety by increasing the chances of a midair collision at DCA,” she said.

The NTSB is concerned about the lack of separation between helicopters and commercial jets at the two runways. Citing a chart, she said that helicopters operating at the maximum authorized altitude of 200 feet could have only about 75 feet of vertical separation from an airplane approaching Runway 33 to land.

The NTSB released its 10-page “urgent recommendation” report on the Jan. 29 crash in which an Army Black Hawk helicopter collided with an American Airlines jet on its final approach to DCA’s Runway 33. The crash killed all 67 passengers and crew on both aircraft.

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy speaks at a press conference at the Department of Transportation in Washington, on March 11, 2025. Kayla Bartkowski/Getty Images

In addition to banning helicopter operations around the two runways, the NTSB also recommended that the FAA designate an alternative helicopter route for times when portions of the airspace may be closed. The agency said this would help reduce collision risk and prevent air traffic controllers from becoming overloaded.

Last month, Homendy said the military helicopter crew may have had “bad data” on the altitude from their altimeter because the pilots appeared to have different altitude readings in the seconds before the crash. She also said that the transmission from the tower that instructed the helicopter to go behind the plane may not have been heard by the crew because the transmission from Air Traffic Control was stepped on.

Meanwhile, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy has restricted helicopter traffic from operating over the Potomac River at DCA until March 31 in light of the deadly collision.

“As that deadline nears, we remain concerned about the significant potential for future midair collision at DCA, which is why we are recommending a permanent solution today,” Homendy said.

Duffy said he'll adopt the NTSB’s recommendations for the route where the midair collision occurred. He noted there will be some modifications in the guidelines to be released Wednesday, including allowing presidential flights and lifesaving missions.

Helicopters no longer will be “threading the needle” flying under landing planes, he said.

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) also will use artificial intelligence to analyze data from every airport to make sure there aren’t similar dangers elsewhere, he said, adding that there are other airports with cross-traffic.

Homendy and Duffy both said the hazards at Reagan airport should have been recognized earlier by the FAA.

“The data was there. It wasn’t effectively analyzed to see we had this risk,” Duffy said.

A string of aviation incidents this year has highlighted concerns over flight safety.

A medical transportation plane crashed in Philadelphia on Jan. 31, killing six people on board and one person on the ground.

In February, a Delta plane flipped over after landing at Toronto Pearson International Airport. All 80 crew members and passengers survived.

Experts say that such aviation incidents don’t necessarily reflect a pattern or trend and that flying is overall considered safe.

From NTD News