The Nationwide Transport Security Council on Tuesday has issued two emergency suggestions to scale back and redirect helicopter visitors round Ronald Reagan Nationwide Airport close to Washington after a crash in the midst of a passenger airplane and a military helicopter in January killed 67 individuals.
Jennifer Homidi, chairman of the Investigative Board, stated a evaluate of airport air visitors from 2011 to 2024 discovered {that a} plane sign had been triggered at the very least as soon as a month, instructing pilots to take emergency motion to keep away from hitting helicopters. Airline pilots are anticipated to observe the indicators often known as decision consultations on different instructions, together with air visitors management directions.
In additional than half of these instances which have been documented in voluntary security studies and FA information, the helicopter could have flown over the permitted heights for the route. Two of three such collision threats befell at night time.
Investigators are looking for out why the Military Black Hawk helicopter flew above the utmost peak for its route and the way it finally ends up on the trail of the US -Airways regional plane within the night of January twenty ninth.
In response to the evaluate of knowledge and different findings, the Security Council advisable the Federal Aviation Administration to consistently ban a helicopter trafficking alongside a hall often known as Highway 4 – which Black Hawk travels on the night time of the conflict – when the airports of the runs of 15 or 33 are used. The hall passes between the Hains Level of East Potomac Park and the Wilson Bridge close to the Nationwide Airport.
The airplane visitors on these slopes is lower than 10 p.c of exits and arrival, so the closure of a helicopter shall be restricted, the company stated.
He additionally advisable that the FAA signifies another helicopter route when this section is closed to a helicopter visitors.
“We now have decided the prevailing distances for separation between trafficking into helicopters working on street 4 and touchdown on tracks 33 are inadequate and pose an insupportable threat to aviation security,” says G -Hojdi at a press convention.
She stated the information on close by clashes close to the Nationwide Airport clearly present an issue and mustn’t want a tragedy to take motion.
Two days after the deadly collision, FAA momentary Close two heavily used Helicopter routes transferring alongside the Potomak River and across the Nationwide Airport. The Black Hawk helicopter travels each routes throughout a coaching mission earlier than its fiery encounter with American Airways Flight 5342.
NTSB’s suggestions are intensifying the most recent requires Congress and US airways for FAA to consistently prohibit the well-known helicopter visitors across the Nationwide Airport.
