Latest news with #ChrisSenn
Yahoo
06-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Army pauses helicopter training flights around Pentagon after 2 disruptions to commercial flights last week
The Army has paused all helicopter training flights around the Pentagon near Washington after disruptions to two commercial flights last Thursday. A senior Army spokesperson confirmed the pause to Fox News on Monday, noting it was implemented pending the investigation into last week's decision by Reagan National Airport (DCA) to divert two flights after an Army helicopter on a training mission was told by the Pentagon tower to make another loop around the Pentagon before landing. At about 2:30 p.m. that day, air traffic control instructed a Delta Air Lines Airbus A319 and a Republic Airways Embraer E170 to perform "go-arounds" at DCA due to an Army Black Hawk helicopter inbound to the Pentagon Army Heliport, according to statements from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). The FAA said the Black Hawk was a priority air transport helicopter. 2 Planes Do 'Go-arounds' To Avoid Military Helicopter Near Reagan National Airport The aircraft "took a scenic route around the Pentagon versus proceeding directly from the west to the heliport," prompting controllers to call for two go-arounds, Politico reported, citing an email written Friday by Chris Senn, FAA's assistant administrator for government and industry affairs. Read On The Fox News App Army officials, though, took issue with the statement from the FAA suggesting that the helicopter "took a scenic route." Maria Cantwell, D-Wash., ranking member of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, confirmed the Black Hawk helicopter came from the same Army Aviation brigade as the helicopter involved in the deadly Jan. 29 midair collision over the Potomac River. Faa Increasing Air Traffic Control Staff, Supervisors At Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport But Army officials said the helicopter was not flying the same route. Defense officials said the helicopter last week did an overhead loop over the Pentagon at the accepted parameters set by the FAA before landing on the Pentagon helipad. There is also growing frustration at the Pentagon with Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy over how the situation was handled. "Our helicopter restrictions around DCA are crystal clear," Duffy wrote on X Friday. "In addition to investigations from @NTSB and @FAANews, I'll be talking to the @DeptofDefense to ask why the hell our rules were disregarded." Black Hawk Pilot Failed To Heed Flight Instructor In Moments Before Plane Collision Over Dc: Report "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," he defense officials said they felt blindsided by Duffy's tweet, adding they wished Duffy had called and spoken with someone at the Pentagon before tweeting. No military VIPs were onboard the military training flight. Faa 'Permanently Restricting' Washington Helicopter Traffic After Fatal Midair Collision Near Dc Airport Thursday's disruptions come less than one month after the FAA increased staffing and oversight for the DCA air traffic control team. In March, the FAA announced that it would permanently restrict "nonessential" helicopter operations around the airport and eliminate helicopter and fixed-wing mixed traffic. The agency also prohibited the simultaneous use of runways 15/33 and 4/22 when helicopters that are conducting urgent missions are operating near DCA. It is unclear how the incident took place, given the new guidelines. The airport's main runway is the busiest runway in America, according to the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority. Fox News' Chad Pergram, Landon Mion, Grady Trimble and Alexandra Koch contributed to this article source: Army pauses helicopter training flights around Pentagon after 2 disruptions to commercial flights last week
Fox News
05-05-2025
- Politics
- Fox News
Army pauses helicopter training flights around Pentagon after 2 disruptions to commercial flights last week
The Army has paused all helicopter training flights around the Pentagon near Washington after disruptions to two commercial flights last Thursday. A senior Army spokesperson confirmed the pause to Fox News on Monday, noting it was implemented pending the investigation into last week's decision by Reagan National Airport (DCA) to divert two flights after an Army helicopter on a training mission was told by the Pentagon tower to make another loop around the Pentagon before landing. At about 2:30 p.m. that day, air traffic control instructed a Delta Air Lines Airbus A319 and a Republic Airways Embraer E170 to perform "go-arounds" at DCA due to an Army Black Hawk helicopter inbound to the Pentagon Army Heliport, according to statements from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). The FAA said the Black Hawk was a priority air transport helicopter. The aircraft "took a scenic route around the Pentagon versus proceeding directly from the west to the heliport," prompting controllers to call for two go-arounds, Politico reported, citing an email written Friday by Chris Senn, FAA's assistant administrator for government and industry affairs. Army officials, though, took issue with the statement from the FAA suggesting that the helicopter "took a scenic route." Maria Cantwell, D-Wash., ranking member of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, confirmed the Black Hawk helicopter came from the same Army Aviation brigade as the helicopter involved in the deadly Jan. 29 midair collision over the Potomac River. But Army officials said the helicopter was not flying the same route. Defense officials said the helicopter last week did an overhead loop over the Pentagon at the accepted parameters set by the FAA before landing on the Pentagon helipad. There is also growing frustration at the Pentagon with Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy over how the situation was handled. "Our helicopter restrictions around DCA are crystal clear," Duffy wrote on X Friday. "In addition to investigations from @NTSB and @FAANews, I'll be talking to the @DeptofDefense to ask why the hell our rules were disregarded." "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," he defense officials said they felt blindsided by Duffy's tweet, adding they wished Duffy had called and spoken with someone at the Pentagon before tweeting. No military VIPs were onboard the military training flight. Thursday's disruptions come less than one month after the FAA increased staffing and oversight for the DCA air traffic control team. In March, the FAA announced that it would permanently restrict "nonessential" helicopter operations around the airport and eliminate helicopter and fixed-wing mixed traffic. The agency also prohibited the simultaneous use of runways 15/33 and 4/22 when helicopters that are conducting urgent missions are operating near DCA. It is unclear how the incident took place, given the new guidelines. The airport's main runway is the busiest runway in America, according to the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority.
Time of India
05-05-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
Black Hawk chopper mid-air scare near Pentagon with two airlines put more than 200 lives at risk
An US Army Black Hawk helicopter caused a safety scare on May 1 when it flew dangerously close to two commercial airliners preparing to land at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport. #Pahalgam Terrorist Attack Inside Operation Tupac: Pakistan's secret project to burn Kashmir Who is Asim Munir, the Zia-style general shaping Pakistan's faith-driven military revival 'Looking for partners, not preachers': India's strong message for EU amid LoC tensions The helicopter took what officials called a "scenic route" around the Pentagon instead of flying directly to its landing spot. As a result, air traffic controllers ordered Delta Flight 1671, which can carry up to 144 people, and Republic Flight 5825, which typically seats around 66 to 78 passengers, to perform emergency "go-arounds" just two miles from landing. Although the exact number of passengers has not been confirmed, a lot of people were at risk at that moment. Both flights were on final approach around 2:30 p.m. local time when the helicopter entered their airspace. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) officials said the Army aircraft was as close as 200 feet vertically and 0.4 miles horizontally from the Republic flight. It also came within less than a mile and 400 feet of the Delta plane. 5 5 Next Stay Playback speed 1x Normal Back 0.25x 0.5x 1x Normal 1.5x 2x 5 5 / Skip Ads by by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Neurologists: These Shoes Are the Best Thing You Can Do for Your Body After 60 Foot Insider Learn More Undo FAA official Chris Senn said the helicopter's flight path caused a "loss of separation," meaning it violated minimum safe distance standards. He also noted the helicopter was not within the airport's restricted mixed traffic area. To make matters worse, radar tracking failed momentarily. According to Senn, the helicopter's location 'floated and jumped' on the controller's screen, making it hard to track in real time. Five air traffic workers, including one trainee, were on duty at the time. Live Events The U.S. Transportation Secretary, Sean Duffy, condemned the event. In a post on X, he wrote: 'Our helicopter restrictions around DCA are crystal clear. 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.' This incident happened just three months after a fatal crash between another Army Black Hawk and an American Airlines jet at the same airport, killing all 67 on board. US Senator Maria Cantwell called the new incident 'outrageous' and added that the Pentagon and the FAA must pay more attention to airspace safety. An Army spokesperson said the helicopter was following directions from Pentagon Air Traffic Control and acted according to approved flight procedures. The National Transportation Safety Board(NTSB) is now investigating the incident with the help of the FAA.
Daily Mail
04-05-2025
- General
- Daily Mail
Army helicopter taking 'scenic route' causes two planes to change course in yet another incident near Reagan National
Three months after the deadliest aviation disaster in more than two decades, two passengers planes were forced to abort their landings at Reagan National Airport after an Army Black Hawk helicopter veered off course. The two commercial airliners were both forced into last-second go-arounds on Thursday afternoon when the Army aircraft deviated from its approved flight path flying dangerously close to the arriving passenger jets. The incident is particularly alarming given its parallels to the January disaster in which another Army Black Hawk collided midair with an American Eagle CRJ-700, killing 67 people in the worst US aviation accident since 2001. This time, Delta flight DL5825, from Boston, operated by a Republic Airways Embraer EMB-170, was on final approach, descending through around 450 feet, when the crew was instructed to go around. Immediately following them was Delta flight DL1671, from Orlando, flown by an Airbus A319. The aircraft was also on final approach and descending through around 700 feet when its crew was also instructed to go around. The proximity was chilling with as little as 0.4 miles horizontally and just 200 feet vertically between one of the commercial jets and the Black Hawk, according to an FAA email obtained by Politico. Both planes were on final approach when air traffic controllers ordered them to abort their landings around 2:30pm at the crowded Reagan National Airport in Washington D.C. 'The helicopter took a scenic route around the Pentagon versus proceeding directly from the west to the heliport,' FAA official Chris Senn wrote in an internal memo. He classified the event as a 'loss of separation,' an official term for a breach of the minimum distance required between aircraft - and a potentially catastrophic safety violation. The Federal Aviation Administration released a formal statement confirming the close call and said that it had launched a full investigation. 'Air traffic control instructed Delta Air Lines Flight 1671 and Republic Airways Flight 5825 to perform go-arounds at the Reagan Washington National Airport due to a Priority Air Transport helicopter inbound to the Pentagon Army Heliport.' The National Transportation Safety Board also issued its own terse update. 'NTSB investigating Thursday's incidents at Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA) in which a Delta Air Lines Airbus A319 and a Republic Airways Embraer E170 were instructed by air traffic control to perform go-arounds due to a US Army Black Hawk helicopter inbound to the Pentagon.' When contacted, the Army said it was 'aware of yesterday's incident,' but referred further questions to the Military District of Washington, which oversees Army operations in the capital. The Pentagon has not yet commented publicly, although sources confirmed that it was the same aviation brigade involved in the January 29 fatal Black Hawk crash that was behind Thursday's near miss. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy didn't mince words after being briefed on the near-miss There is rising public anger over repeated lapses in safety protocols - especially in one of the nation's most complex and crowded airspaces Reagan National airport is one of the busiest airports in the country and stretched to its limit In the January crash, investigators discovered the military helicopter's Automatic Dependent Surveillance–Broadcast (ADS-B) system - which tracks altitude, speed, and position - had been turned off, likely due to outdated Army policies that required commander approval for broadcast activation during 'sensitive' missions. In March, Brig. Gen. Matthew Braman admitted during a Senate hearing that the Army's ADS-B usage policy was 'inconsistent,' prompting bipartisan condemnation. At the time of the collision, a single air traffic controller at Reagan Airport was simultaneously monitoring both the helicopter and plane traffic. The Army has warned against placing any blame prematurely. 'It is irresponsible to take snippets of information and present them in a way that casts blame on any individual or group,' the Army said in a statement to the New York Times. 'The events of January 29th were tragic, and the Army is committed to a full and thorough investigation that will provide fact-based conclusions so we can ensure an accident such as this is never repeated.' In Thursday's incident, the Black Hawk was broadcasting ADS-B, but even that wasn't enough to prevent complete confusion in the control tower. According to FAA official Senn, the helicopter's radar 'floated and jumped to a different location on the controller feed after being unresponsive for a couple seconds.' That radar glitch occurred just as the Republic Airways flight was 1.7 miles from the runway. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy didn't mince words after being briefed on the near-miss. 'This is unacceptable,' Duffy declared on X. 'The helicopter restrictions around Reagan are crystal clear. I'll be speaking to the Department of Defense to ask why the hell our rules were disregarded.' He added: 'No more helicopter rides for VIPs or unnecessary training in congested DCA airspace full of civilians. Take a taxi or Uber - besides, most VIPs have black car service.' While Thursday's flight was reportedly part of a training exercise, not a VIP transport, Duffy's fury captured the rising public anger over repeated lapses in safety protocols - especially in one of the nation's most complex and crowded airspaces. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-Washington), chair of the powerful Senate Commerce Committee, issued a scathing rebuke on Friday afternoon. 'It is outrageous that only three months after an Army Black Hawk helicopter tragically collided with a passenger jet, the same Army brigade again flew a helicopter too close to passenger jets on final approach.' Cantwell demanded the Pentagon and FAA prioritize airspace security and called the latest breach 'an unforgivable error that put civilian lives at risk.' According to FAA data, the Army helicopter had been cleared for a direct path to the Pentagon helipad but inexplicably opted for a 'scenic route' around the Pentagon, triggering a host of airspace complications for multiple aircraft already cleared to land. Air traffic controllers were forced to act fast and bot aircraft aborted their landings. They had circled back around for a safe landing around 10 minutes later. Although no passengers were harmed, the incident has once again sent shockwaves through aviation circles. Behind the scenes, multiple sources confirm that controllers were stretched thin, even as the tower had a full team on duty: one supervisor, four certified professional controllers, and a trainee. But as air traffic becomes increasingly complex, with layered restrictions, drone zones, VIP operations, and military activity, the system appears to be showing signs of strain. Reagan National has been understaffed for many years, with just 19 fully certified controllers as of September 2023 - well below the target of 30 - according to the most recent Air Traffic Controller Workforce Plan submitted to Congress. The situation appeared to have improved since then, as a source told CNN the Reagan National control tower was 85 percent staffed with 24 of 28 positions filled. revealed in March that two air traffic controllers had even traded punches when a fight erupted inside the control tower at Reagan National. The airspace around the busy airport is often filled with domestic flights and military aircraft that regularly experience close calls. Recent incidents at Reagan also include a near collision in May 2024 involving an American Airlines plane that was cleared for takeoff as an incoming King Air plane had been cleared for landing on a nearby runway. The month prior, another near-miss occurred between JetBlue and Southwest planes that nearly collided on a runway. In 2024 alone, the airport experienced at least eight near-midair collisions, according to Federal Aviation Administration data reported by the The New York Times reported.
Yahoo
02-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
FAA: Army helicopter taking ‘scenic route' near Reagan National forces two passenger jets to shift course
An Army helicopter flying in the D.C. airspace Thursday forced two commercial passenger jets inbound to Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport to perform go-around maneuvers — roughly three months after the airport was the site of the nation's worst aviation fatality in more than two decades. The Federal Aviation Administration sent out a notice about the incidents on Friday. Reagan National airport has been in the spotlight ever since the catastrophic crash of an Army Black Hawk helicopter and a regional passenger jet killed 67 people in January and set off a wave of investigations. According to the email written Friday by Chris Senn, FAA's assistant administrator for government and industry affairs, obtained by POLITICO, the Army helicopter — also a Black Hawk — 'took a scenic route around the Pentagon versus proceeding directly from the west to the heliport' on Thursday, prompting controllers to call for two go-arounds. While go-arounds are a typical maneuver for flights inbound to Reagan National given the congestion at the busy airport, Senn classified the incidents in the email as 'loss of separation' events, which are a breach of the minimum separation standards for aircraft in the same airspace. Senn added the aircraft 'were not within the restricted mixed traffic area' of the airport, but the FAA will investigate whether the Army was in violation of its flight approvals. A person familiar with the email, who was granted anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly on the matter, confirmed its authenticity. In a statement, the FAA on Friday said a 'priority transport' inbound for the Pentagon's helipad made both a Delta Air Lines flight and a Republic Airways flight perform go-arounds. The agency said it will investigate the incident, which happened around 2:30 p.m. on Thursday. Delta said it would cooperate with the FAA on its investigation. A spokesperson for Republic could not be reached. The National Transportation Safety Board is also investigating. Both flights were on final approach. The closest proximity between the Delta plane and helicopter was less than a mile and 400 feet. As the Black Hawk continued flying, the proximity between the Republic flight and the helicopter then grew closer — roughly 0.4 miles and 200 feet apart, according to the email. Separately, there was another underlying issue: Controllers didn't see the Black Hawk's tracking position in real-time on their radar screens. Senn said the helicopter's radar track 'inadvertently floated and jumped to a different location on the controller feed after being unresponsive for a couple seconds.' The jump happened when the Republic flight was 1.7 miles away from the runway. At the time of the go-arounds, the control tower had one supervisor performing direct operational oversight, four certified professional controllers, or top-level controllers capable of performing all functions of a controller at their facility, plus one certified professional controller trainee receiving on the job training, Senn said. The Army was broadcasting via a transponder using its Automatic Dependent Surveillance–Broadcast technology, which provides air traffic controllers with more detailed information about an aircraft's altitude, speed and location. ADS-B has come under increased scrutiny since the January crash as investigators believe the broadcast was turned off. The cause of the crash remains under investigation. At the time of the accident in January, the Army's policy was to restrict turning on ADS-B for sensitive or classified missions with commander approval, according to Brig. Gen. Matthew Braman, who testified in March during a Senate aviation subpanel hearing into the crash. Lawmakers have called the policy inconsistent and unacceptable. Responding to Thursday's incident, Sen. Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.), ranking member of the Commerce Committee, said the Black Hawk involved in Thursday's incident came from the same Army Aviation brigade as the helicopter involved in the fatal collision earlier this year. 'It is outrageous that only three months after an Army Black Hawk helicopter tragically collided with a passenger jet, the same Army brigade again flew a helicopter too close to passenger jets on final approach" at the airport, she said in a statement, and called on the Pentagon and the FAA "to give our airspace the security and safety attention it deserves." The Army said it is aware of yesterday's incident, and referred questions to the Military District of Washington, which oversees Army operations within the nation's capital. But in a statement in response to a New York Times report regarding the events leading up to the fatal January crash, the Army said it 'cautions against speculating about potential causes or contributing factors prior to the' NTSB completing its investigation. The probe is expected to take at least a year. 'It is irresponsible to take snippets of information and present them in a way that casts blame on any individual or group,' the Army said. 'The events of January 29th were tragic, and the Army is committed to a full and thorough investigation that will provide fact-based conclusions so we can ensure an accident such as this is never repeated.'
