The Federal Aviation Administration is restricting helicopter traffic over the Potomac River following the tragic accident last week between a US Army helicopter and an American Airlines flight.
A Blackhawk helicopter on a training flight collided with American Airlines flight 5342 on Wednesday, January 29 , just before 9pm as it approached Runway 33 of the Reagan National Airport. The collision killed 64 people onboard the American Airlines Bombardier CRJ700 and three Army personnel in the Black Hawk.
The midair collision happened about 3 miles (5km) south of the White House above the Potomac River in a busy airspace, where numerous military and civil flights are common.
The areas covered by the new flight restriction includes Memorial Bridge to South Capitol Street Bridge, excluding the Tidal Basin, Haines Point to Wilson Bridge and over the top of Reagan National Airport.
The restriction exempts helicopters entering this airspace for lifesaving medical support, active law enforcement, active air defense, or presidential transport helicopter missions that must operate in this restricted area. Any helicopter operations outside these exemptions will be prohibited. These restrictions will remain in place until the NTSB completes its preliminary investigation of the air carrier incident at which point it will be reviewed based on NTSB’s report.
“Today’s decision will immediately help secure the airspace near Reagan Airport, ensuring the safety of airplane and helicopter traffic,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy. “This is part of the U.S. Department of Transportation’s ongoing commitment to safeguarding our nation’s skies and upholding the highest standards of air travel safety.
“We will continue to support President Trump’s directive to achieve uncompromised aviation safety. The American people deserve full confidence in our aviation system and today’s action is a significant step towards restoring that trust.”