Tip of the day: FAA Proposes Permanent Helicopter Restrictions at Reagan Airport

Federal air-safety officials propose permanent restrictions on helicopter flights at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport after the Jan. 29 collision between a U.S. Army Black Hawk helicopter and an American Airlines regional jet, resulting in 67 fatalities. Temporary restrictions were implemented immediately after the incident, barring helicopters from the corridor used by both military and government aircraft. The FAA is reviewing these restrictions, potentially adjusting or limiting hours for training and test missions if routes are reopened. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy has criticized the proximity of helicopter routes to the airport. The NTSB is investigating factors contributing to the crash, including airspace design and actions of the pilots and air-traffic controllers. Safety discussions also focus on runway use and past incidents of near-collisions between planes and helicopters. Despite the ongoing investigation, the FAA has incrementally increased Reagan’s aircraft arrival rate and reopened the two smaller runways initially closed for search and recovery efforts.