US federal agents looking for the cause of the January collision between a passenger jet near Washington, which killed 67 people on Tuesday, recommended a ban on helicopter flights to improve safety.
The military helicopter collided with an American Airlines jet on January 29th as it approached Ronald Reagan National Airport on the Potomac River. Among the victims were 28 members of the figure skating community.
Jennifer Homendy's National Road Safety Committee Chairman said the board determined that the existing separation distance between the airport's plane and helicopters was “inadequate and poses a risk that aviation safety cannot bear.”
“We should not take tragedy to demand action immediately,” she said.
Under current practice, helicopters and planes could be 75 feet apart while they land, Homedy said. Investigators identified 15,214 instances of the plane that were alerted about the proximity of helicopters between October 2021 and December 2024, she said.
After the collision, the Federal Aviation Administration took steps to limit helicopter flights around Reagan National Airport, confirming that the planes and helicopters no longer share the same airspace. If a helicopter needs to pass through the airport, the flight will be temporarily suspended.
Investigators say the helicopter may have had inaccurate altitude measurements at the moment before the crash, and the crew may not have heard important instructions from the air traffic controller. The collision could have occurred at an altitude of just under 91 meters as the plane descended towards the helicopter. This was well above the 61m limit for the location.
The helicopter pilot may have missed some of the other communications when the tower said the jet was heading towards another runway, Homendy said last month.
The helicopter was on a “check” flight that night, where pilots were undergoing annual testing and were being tested using night vision goggles, Homendy said. Investigators believe the crew were wearing night vision goggles while flying.
The Army said the Black Hawk crews are very experienced and used to the busy skies around the capitals around the nation.
Within a month of this year, there have been four major aviation disasters in North America. This included an airborne collision over the Potomac, which recently in mid-February, when a delta flight turned over and landed on the roof of Toronto's Pearson airport, causing 21 people to injure.
Fatal crashes are rare and despite the fact that US aviation's track record is very sound, these accidents and close calls were worried about flight safety.
US President Donald Trump has condemned what he called the Washington conflict a “outdated” air traffic control system and has promised to replace it. He also impeded the helicopter and flew too much.
Federal officials have raised concerns over the years about overtensive and understaffed air traffic control systems, particularly after a series of close calls between planes at US airports. Some of the reasons they cited due to a lack of staff include uncompetitive pay, long shifts, intensive training and mandatory retirement.
