Latest news with #BrigGenMatthewBraman
Yahoo
24-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Pentagon Loses Connection with Army Helicopter for 20 Seconds, Resulting in Several Aborted Landings at Nearby D.C. Airport
A U.S. Army helicopter lost contact with the Pentagon for 20 seconds, resulting in 2 aborted landings for commercial aircraft This comes months after the deadly crash near Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport The Army has paused helicopter activity in this area while the FAA works on a solutionA U.S. Army helicopter lost contact with the Pentagon for 20 seconds on May 1, per a new report by the Associated Press published Friday, May 23. The loss of contact resulted in two commercial jets abruptly aborting landings to prevent a potential collision, the outlet reports. The incident comes months after the deadly collision between a Blackhawk helicopter and a commercial jet that killed 67 people near Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport. Following the May 1 incident, the Army has paused all flight activity in the area surrounding Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport. PEOPLE reached out to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) for comment, but did not immediately hear back. In March, the FAA indefinitely shut down the helicopter route on which the Black Hawk from the January collision had been traveling in the vicinity of Washington, D.C.'s Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport. Brig. Gen. Matthew Braman, the head of Army aviation, explained that the controllers lost contact with the Black Hawk because a temporary control tower antenna was not set up in a location where it would be able to maintain contact with the helicopter as it flew. He said the antenna was set up during construction of a new control tower and has now been moved to the roof of the Pentagon, per an exclusive interview with the AP. Former FAA and NTSB crash investigator Jeff Guzzetti additionally confirmed to the outlet that he believes the two commercial aircrafts that aborted landing on May 1 made the right move. 'The Army, to me, seems to be attempting to sidestep some of their responsibility here. And it just sounds like excuses to say 'Hey, we had our ADS-B on and that should have been enough for them to see where we were.' That sounds too simplistic to me,' Guzzetti told the AP. In the initial reporting on the aborted landings, an FAA official suggested the Army helicopter was taking a 'scenic route.' Never miss a story — sign up for to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. However, the ADS-B-Out data, which the Army shared with the AP on Friday, depicts that the crew hewed closely to its approved flight path — directly up the I-395 highway corridor – then rounding the Pentagon. FAA air traffic controllers at the airport aborted the landing of a Delta Air Lines Airbus A319 during the Black Hawk's initial flight toward the Pentagon because they realized both aircrafts would be nearing the Pentagon at approximately the same time, the outlet reports. Read the original article on People
Yahoo
24-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Misplaced antenna caused military controllers to lose contact with Black Hawk near DCA: report
An Army general recently confirmed that military air traffic controllers lost contact with an Army helicopter, prompting two commercial planes to perform go-arounds to avoid crashing at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA), where a midair collision in January killed 67 people. On May 1, a Delta Air Lines Airbus A319 and a Republic Airways Embraer E170 at DCA were told to perform go-arounds due to a U.S. Army Black Hawk Priority Air Transport helicopter inbound to the Pentagon Army Heliport, according to statements from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). Brig. Gen. Matthew Braman, director of Army Aviation, said a temporary control tower antenna placed in the wrong location caused military air traffic controllers to lose contact with the Black Hawk helicopter for 20 seconds, according to a report from The Associated Press. Two Planes Do 'Go-arounds' To Avoid Military Helicopter Near Reagan Washington National Airport Even though the helicopter should have emitted its exact location, FAA officials reportedly told Braman the data received was "inconclusive," varying up to three-quarters of a mile. "It certainly led to confusion of air traffic control of where they were," Braman told the AP. Read On The Fox News App The antenna, which was set up while a new control tower was being built, has since been relocated to the Pentagon rooftop, the outlet reported. Faa 'Permanently Restricting' Washington Helicopter Traffic After Fatal Midair Collision Near Dc Airport Chris Senn, the FAA's assistant administrator for government and industry affairs, initially said in an email shared with Politico that the go-arounds could have been avoided had the Black Hawk traveled west to the heliport instead of taking "a scenic route." Army Public Affairs said in a statement its internal review found "no deviations from approved flight paths" and "no risk of intersecting air traffic." The Army claims its helicopter, which was not carrying any passengers, was continuously broadcasting via its Automatic Dependent Surveillance–Broadcast (ADS-B) Out system throughout the flight, and the go-arounds were performed "out of an apparent abundance of caution." "The first go-around occurred before PAT 23 arrived at the Pentagon helipad and was the result of an issue with sequencing of air traffic by DCA Tower," the Army said in the statement. "The second occurred during PAT 23's subsequent traffic pattern and was based on conflicting positional data from legacy tracking systems." The close calls came less than one month after the FAA increased staffing and oversight for the DCA air traffic control team. Two Planes Aborted Landings At Dca Due To Helicopters In Flight Path In Week Before Crash: Report The Army said it supports ongoing efforts to modernize air traffic systems, including initiatives led by Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy to address "inconsistencies caused by legacy technologies." "We are committed to safe and professional aviation operations in all airspace," Braman said in the statement. "We continue to work closely with the FAA to update procedures prior to resuming Pentagon flight operations in support of national security missions." After the May 1 incident, Duffy took to X to share his frustration. "Our helicopter restrictions around DCA are crystal clear. In addition to investigations from @NTSB and @FAANews, I'll be talking to the @DeptofDefense to ask why the hell our rules were disregarded," Duffy wrote. "Safety must ALWAYS come first. We just lost 67 souls! No more helicopter rides for VIPs or unnecessary training in a congested DCA airspace full of civilians. Take a taxi or Uber – besides most VIPs have black car service." On May 8, Duffy announced a plan to build a new "state-of-the-art" traffic control system that will equip locations with better technology to reduce outages, improve efficiency and reinforce safety. The announcement came after recent outages at Newark Liberty Internal Airport, which Duffy attributed to the previous administration's transfer of airspace control from New York to Philadelphia. The NTSB said in an email to Fox News Digital it is still investigating the May 1 incident. "We can't comment on an open investigation," a spokesperson wrote. The FAA did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital's request for article source: Misplaced antenna caused military controllers to lose contact with Black Hawk near DCA: report
Fox News
24-05-2025
- General
- Fox News
Misplaced antenna caused military controllers to lose contact with Black Hawk near DCA: report
An Army general recently confirmed that military air traffic controllers lost contact with an Army helicopter, prompting two commercial planes to perform go-arounds to avoid crashing at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA), where a midair collision in January killed 67 people. On May 1, a Delta Air Lines Airbus A319 and a Republic Airways Embraer E170 at DCA were told to perform go-arounds due to a U.S. Army Black Hawk Priority Air Transport helicopter inbound to the Pentagon Army Heliport, according to statements from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). Brig. Gen. Matthew Braman, director of Army Aviation, said a temporary control tower antenna placed in the wrong location caused military air traffic controllers to lose contact with the Black Hawk helicopter for 20 seconds, according to a report from The Associated Press. Even though the helicopter should have emitted its exact location, FAA officials reportedly told Braman the data received was "inconclusive," varying up to three-quarters of a mile. "It certainly led to confusion of air traffic control of where they were," Braman told the AP. The antenna, which was set up while a new control tower was being built, has since been relocated to the Pentagon rooftop, the outlet reported. Chris Senn, the FAA's assistant administrator for government and industry affairs, initially said in an email shared with Politico that the go-arounds could have been avoided had the Black Hawk traveled west to the heliport instead of taking "a scenic route." Army Public Affairs said in a statement its internal review found "no deviations from approved flight paths" and "no risk of intersecting air traffic." The Army claims its helicopter, which was not carrying any passengers, was continuously broadcasting via its Automatic Dependent Surveillance–Broadcast (ADS-B) Out system throughout the flight, and the go-arounds were performed "out of an apparent abundance of caution." "The first go-around occurred before PAT 23 arrived at the Pentagon helipad and was the result of an issue with sequencing of air traffic by DCA Tower," the Army said in the statement. "The second occurred during PAT 23's subsequent traffic pattern and was based on conflicting positional data from legacy tracking systems." The close calls came less than one month after the FAA increased staffing and oversight for the DCA air traffic control team. The Army said it supports ongoing efforts to modernize air traffic systems, including initiatives led by Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy to address "inconsistencies caused by legacy technologies." "We are committed to safe and professional aviation operations in all airspace," Braman said in the statement. "We continue to work closely with the FAA to update procedures prior to resuming Pentagon flight operations in support of national security missions." After the May 1 incident, Duffy took to X to share his frustration. "Our helicopter restrictions around DCA are crystal clear. In addition to investigations from @NTSB and @FAANews, I'll be talking to the @DeptofDefense to ask why the hell our rules were disregarded," Duffy wrote. "Safety must ALWAYS come first. We just lost 67 souls! No more helicopter rides for VIPs or unnecessary training in a congested DCA airspace full of civilians. Take a taxi or Uber – besides most VIPs have black car service." On May 8, Duffy announced a plan to build a new "state-of-the-art" traffic control system that will equip locations with better technology to reduce outages, improve efficiency and reinforce safety. The announcement came after recent outages at Newark Liberty Internal Airport, which Duffy attributed to the previous administration's transfer of airspace control from New York to Philadelphia. The NTSB said in an email to Fox News Digital it is still investigating the May 1 incident. "We can't comment on an open investigation," a spokesperson wrote. The FAA did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital's request for comment.
The Independent
23-05-2025
- General
- The Independent
Pentagon lost contact with Army helicopter on flight that caused jets to nix landings at DC airport
Military air traffic controllers lost contact with an Army helicopter for about 20 seconds as it neared the Pentagon on the flight that caused two commercial jets to abort their landings this month at a Washington airport, the Army told The Associated Press on Friday. The aborted landings on May 1 added to general unease about continued close calls between government helicopters and commercial airplanes near Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport following a deadly midair collision in January between a passenger jet and an Army helicopter that killed 67 people. In March, the Federal Aviation Administration announced that helicopters would be permanently restricted from flying on the same route where the collision occurred. After the May 1 incident, the Army paused all flights into and out of the Pentagon as it works with the FAA to address safety issues. Brig. Gen. Matthew Braman, the head of Army aviation, told the AP in an exclusive interview that the controllers lost contact with the Black Hawk because a temporary control tower antenna was not set up in a location where it would be able to maintain contact with the helicopter as it flew low and rounded the Pentagon to land. He said the antenna was set up during construction of a new control tower and has now been moved to the roof of the Pentagon. Braman said federal air traffic controllers inside the Washington airport also didn't have a good fix on the location of the helicopter. The Black Hawk was transmitting data that should have given controllers its precise location, but Braman said FAA officials told him in meetings last week that the data the controllers were getting from multiple feeds and sensors was inconclusive, with some of it deviating by as much as three-quarters of a mile. 'It certainly led to confusion of air traffic control of where they were,' Braman said. The FAA declined to comment on whether its controllers could not get a good fix on the Black Hawk's location due to their own equipment issues, citing the ongoing crash investigation by the National Transportation Safety Board. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy is pushing to have the agency modernize its air traffic control systems and equipment, which has failed controllers responsible for Newark Liberty Internal Airport's airspace at critical moments in recent weeks. In the initial reporting on the aborted landings, an FAA official suggested the Army helicopter was on a 'scenic route.' But the ADSB-Out data , which the Army shared with the AP on Friday, shows the crew hewed closely to its approved flight path — directly up the I-395 highway corridor, which is called Route 5, then rounding the Pentagon. FAA air traffic controllers at the airport aborted the landing of a Delta Air Lines Airbus A319 during the Black Hawk's initial flight toward the Pentagon because they realized both aircraft would be nearing the Pentagon around the same time, Braman said. Because of the 20-second loss of contact, the Pentagon's tower did not clear the Black Hawk to land, so the helicopter circled the Pentagon a second time. That's when air traffic controllers at the airport decided to abort the landing of a second jet, a Republic Airways Embraer E170, because they did not have a confident fix on the Black Hawk's location, Braman said.
Associated Press
23-05-2025
- General
- Associated Press
Pentagon lost contact with Army helicopter on flight that caused jets to nix landings at DC airport
WASHINGTON (AP) — Military air traffic controllers lost contact with an Army helicopter for about 20 seconds as it neared the Pentagon on the flight that caused two commercial jets to abort their landings this month at a Washington airport, the Army told The Associated Press on Friday. The aborted landings on May 1 added to general unease about continued close calls between government helicopters and commercial airplanes near Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport following a deadly midair collision in January between a passenger jet and an Army helicopter that killed 67 people. In March, the Federal Aviation Administration announced that helicopters would be permanently restricted from flying on the same route where the collision occurred. After the May 1 incident, the Army paused all flights into and out of the Pentagon as it works with the FAA to address safety issues. Brig. Gen. Matthew Braman, the head of Army aviation, told the AP in an exclusive interview that the controllers lost contact with the Black Hawk because a temporary control tower antenna was not set up in a location where it would be able to maintain contact with the helicopter as it flew low and rounded the Pentagon to land. He said the antenna was set up during construction of a new control tower and has now been moved to the roof of the Pentagon. Braman said federal air traffic controllers inside the Washington airport also didn't have a good fix on the location of the helicopter. The Black Hawk was transmitting data that should have given controllers its precise location, but Braman said FAA officials told him in meetings last week that the data the controllers were getting from multiple feeds and sensors was inconclusive, with some of it deviating by as much as three-quarters of a mile. 'It certainly led to confusion of air traffic control of where they were,' Braman said. The FAA declined to comment on whether its controllers could not get a good fix on the Black Hawk's location due to their own equipment issues, citing the ongoing crash investigation by the National Transportation Safety Board. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy is pushing to have the agency modernize its air traffic control systems and equipment, which has failed controllers responsible for Newark Liberty Internal Airport's airspace at critical moments in recent weeks. In the initial reporting on the aborted landings, an FAA official suggested the Army helicopter was on a 'scenic route.' But the ADSB-Out data , which the Army shared with the AP on Friday, shows the crew hewed closely to its approved flight path — directly up the I-395 highway corridor, which is called Route 5, then rounding the Pentagon. FAA air traffic controllers at the airport aborted the landing of a Delta Air Lines Airbus A319 during the Black Hawk's initial flight toward the Pentagon because they realized both aircraft would be nearing the Pentagon around the same time, Braman said. Because of the 20-second loss of contact, the Pentagon's tower did not clear the Black Hawk to land, so the helicopter circled the Pentagon a second time. That's when air traffic controllers at the airport decided to abort the landing of a second jet, a Republic Airways Embraer E170, because they did not have a confident fix on the Black Hawk's location, Braman said.
