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The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) have launched an investigation after two commercial airliners aborted their landings at Reagan National Airport because of a U.S. military helicopter approaching the Pentagon in the area.
“The FAA said on Friday that air traffic control instructed Delta Air Lines Flight 1671, an Airbus A319 that had originated in Orlando, and Republic Airways Flight 5825, an Embraer 170 that had departed from Boston, to perform go-arounds at around 2:30 p.m. due to a priority military air transport helicopter in the vicinity,” USA TODAY reports.
The near-misses follow the tragic January 29th mid-air collision between an American Airlines regional jet and U.S. Army Black Hawk helicopter that killed 67 people.
#BREAKING: NEAR COLLISION AT DCA: TWO COMMERCIAL FLIGHTS FORCED TO GO AROUND DUE TO BLACK HAWK “SCENIC ROUTE”
On May 1, 2025, Delta Air Lines flight #DL1671 and Republic Airways flight #DL5825 jets were forced to abort landing at Reagan Washington National (DCA) because of a… pic.twitter.com/kIgMMAsTMz
— Turbine Traveller (@Turbinetraveler) May 3, 2025
Per USA TODAY:
Delta said there were five crew and 97 passengers on the flight. “Nothing is more important at Delta than the safety of our customers and people. We’ll cooperate with the FAA as they investigate,” the airline said Friday.
The Pentagon did not immediately comment.
Republic did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The airport is located in northern Virginia, just outside Washington, D.C., and about four miles from Capitol Hill, making it popular with lawmakers, tourists and local residents.
The FAA in March permanently closed one key route and prohibited the use of two smaller runways at the airport when helicopters conducting urgent missions are operating near the airport.
“The NTSB is now investigating the aborted landings of two commercial flights approaching Reagan National Airport on Thursday as an Army Black Hawk was approaching the Pentagon,” CNN correspondent Pete Muntean said.
“It is not clear how close the helicopter came to the Delta and Republic flights involved,” he added.
DEVELOPING: The NTSB is now investigating the aborted landings of two commercial flights approaching Reagan National Airport on Thursday as an Army Black Hawk was approaching the Pentagon.
It is not clear how close the helicopter came to the Delta and Republic flights involved. pic.twitter.com/GjApx7WAu6
— Pete Muntean (@petemuntean) May 2, 2025
CNN reports:
In a statement, US Army spokesperson Capt. Victoria Goldfedib said, “A UH-60 Blackhawk 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, DCA Air Traffic Control issued a ‘go-around’ to two civil fixed wing aircraft to ensure the appropriate deconfliction of airspace.”
Goldfedib added that the incident is being investigated. “The United States Army remains committed to aviation safety and conducting flight operations within all approved guidelines and procedures,” she said.
Following the incident, the ranking Democrat who sits on the senate committee overseeing the FAA called on the agency and Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, “to give our airspace the security and safety attention it deserves.”
“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 DCA,” said Sen. Maria Cantwell of Washington. “This comes less than a week after this brigade resumed flights in the National Capital Region.”
Sen. Ted Cruz, chair of the Senate Commerce Committee, said he would pursue legislation to “keep the flying public safe from Army helicopter flights that are dangerously close” to the airport.
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