Safety board calls to end helo flights on route of fatal DC crash
By Jen Judson
Mar 11, 2025, 05:52 PM
The National Transportation and Safety Board has concluded that the separation distances allowed between helicopter and airplane traffic on the route where an Army helicopter and a commercial passenger jet collided midair on Jan. 29 near Washington “pose an intolerable risk to aviation safety,” according to its preliminary investigation report released Tuesday.
As a result, the NTSB is recommending helicopter flights be immediately prohibited on “Route 4″ — where the fatal crash occurred — between Hains Point and the Wilson Bridge along the Potomac River when planes are landing or taking off on runways 15 and 33 at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA).
The board is also recommending an alternative helicopter route between Hains Point and the Wilson Bridge when that segment of Route 4 is not open to rotary-wing traffic.
https://www.defensenews.com/air/2025/03/11/safety-board-calls-to-end-helo-flights-on-route-of-fatal-dc-crash/
