FAA restricting nonessential helicopter operations around Reagan National after deadly crash
Source: The Hill
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) on Friday announced it would permanently restrict “non-essential” helicopter operations around the District of Columbia’s Reagan Washington National Airport after a deadly midair collision between an Army helicopter and a commercial jet in January.
The new rules, which seek to eliminate helicopter and fixed-wing mixed traffic in the skies near National Airport, align with National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) recommendations made earlier this week. The board discovered thousands of close calls between helicopters and planes near the airport in the past three years, culminating with a Jan. 29 crash between a Black Hawk helicopter and an American Airlines plane that killed 67 people.
The FAA said it will permanently close Route 4 to helicopters, a four-mile stretch of airspace between Hains Point and the Wilson Bridge along the Potomac River. It also is evaluating alternative helicopter routes, as recommended by the NTSB.
Should a helicopter need to fly through the airspace on an urgent mission, such as lifesaving medical, law enforcement operations or presidential transport, the FAA will keep those helicopters specific distances away from airplanes, according to an administration statement.
Read more: https://www.yahoo.com/news/faa-restricting-nonessential-helicopter-operations-143842385.html
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