Latest news with #VictoriaGoldfedib
Yahoo
03-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Planes forced into 'go-arounds' after Army helicopter's 'scenic' route to Pentagon
May 3 (UPI) -- Two commercial aircraft scheduled to land at Ronald Reagan National Airport on Thursday afternoon were forced to do "go-arounds" after a military helicopter allegedly took a scenic route to the Pentagon. Delta Air Lines Airbus A319 and a Republic Airways Embraer E170 on Thursday were instructed by air traffic controllers to conduct go-arounds, which are maneuvers to abandon their planned landings and circle around for another approach. The National Transportation Safety Board, which is investigating the incident along with the Federal Aviation Administration, said in a statement that the go-arounds were ordered because of a "U.S. Army Black Hawk helicopter inbound to the Pentagon." The FAA, which identified the flights as Delta Air Lines Flight 1671 and Republic Airways Flight 5825, said the incident occurred around 2:30 p.m. EST on Thursday. Flight data from FlightAware shows the planes were delayed less than ten minutes. UPI has reached out to the FAA for a summary of the incident, which was obtained by the Washington Post and reportedly described the route the helicopter took as "scenic." In the summary, the FAA found that the military helicopter was not in airspace that was newly restricted after a commercial plane collided with a U.S. Army Black Hawk near the airport mid-air earlier this year, killing 67 people. The FAA summary report found that the helicopter did not fly directly to the Pentagon from Fort Belvoir in Virginia and instead went around the Pentagon's south and east sides, according to the Washington Post. U.S. Army spokesperson Capt. Victoria Goldfedib told NBC News that the helicopter was flying "in accordance with published FAA flight routes and DCA Air Traffic Control" when it was told to do another pass by air traffic control at the Pentagon. Flight 1671 was the first to abort its landing while carrying 97 passengers and five crew from Orlando, according to the Washington Post. Then, the helicopter's radar tracker went unresponsive for a few seconds as Flight 5825 was set to land, prompting air traffic controllers to abort that landing. That plane came within a half mile of colliding with the Black Hawk, which was coasting just 200 feet below it. While an anonymous U.S. Army official shot down the characterization that helicopter's route was "scenic," the incident was criticized by Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy as "unacceptable." "Our helicopter restrictions around DCA are crystal clear," he said. "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." Duffy said he would be talking to the Defense Department about "why the hell" the rules were "disregarded."
Boston Globe
03-05-2025
- General
- Boston Globe
Aborted landings due to Army helicopter near Reagan airport ‘unacceptable,' top official says
'Safety must ALWAYS come first,' Duffy said on the social platform X. '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.' Get Starting Point A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday. Enter Email Sign Up Thursday's incident involved a Delta Air Lines Airbus A319 and a Republic Airways Embraer E170, according to the NTSB. They were instructed around 2:30 p.m. by air traffic control to 'perform go-arounds' because of a 'priority air transport' helicopter, according to an emailed statement from the FAA. Advertisement The aircraft were not within the restricted mixed traffic area of Reagan National, the FAA told members of Congress in a separate memo seen by The Associated Press. The agency also said it appeared the helicopter 'took a scenic route around the Pentagon' and didn't fly directly to the heliport. Advertisement Army spokesperson Capt. Victoria Goldfedib said in a statement that the UH-60 Blackhawk was following published FAA flight routes and air traffic control from Reagan National when it was 'directed by Pentagon Air Traffic Control to conduct a 'go-around,' overflying the Pentagon helipad in accordance with approved flight procedures.' As a result the other aircraft were given go-around instructions by air traffic control 'to ensure the appropriate deconfliction of airspace,' Goldfedib said. 'The United States Army remains committed to aviation safety and conducting flight operations within all approved guidelines and procedures,' she added. Emma Johnson, a spokesperson for Delta Air Lines, said that the safety of their customers and all people is most important and that they'll 'cooperate with authorities as they investigate.' Republic Airways said in a statement that it is also cooperating with the investigations. The FAA, which manages the nation's airspace and oversees aviation safety, has come under criticism after the NTSB said there had been an alarming number of near misses in recent years in the congested skies around Reagan National. The closure of the helicopter route near the airport makes permanent the restrictions put in place after the Jan. 29 midair collision. The FAA order includes a few exceptions for helicopter use, including presidential flights along with law enforcement and lifesaving missions. Republican Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas, the chairman of the Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee, said on X that Thursday's incident showcased the danger that can come with Army helicopters flying close to the airport. 'Thank God there was a decisive response from air traffic controllers and pilots, or else these two close calls could have resulted in the loss of hundreds of lives,' he said. Advertisement Democratic Sen. Maria Cantwell of Washington, the ranking member of the committee, which oversees the FAA, said the helicopter came from the same Army brigade involved in the January crash and took place less than a week after the brigade resumed flights in the area around the capital. 'It is far past time' for Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and the FAA to 'give our airspace the security and safety attention it deserves,' she said.
