Airliners abort landings as Army helicopter makes ‘scenic’ loop around Pentagon
Two airliners abandoned landing attempts at Washington’s Reagan National Airport on Thursday afternoon when an Army Black Hawk took a “scenic route” near the flight path and circled the Pentagon before landing at a military heliport, according to the Federal Aviation Administration.
The National Transportation Safety Board said it would investigate the incident.
The helicopter was part of the same brigade that was involved in the deadly Jan. 29 crash with an American Airlines jet. The unit had resumed flights in the Washington region only a week ago, according to Sen. Maria Cantwell (D-Washington). Since the in-flight crash, the FAA has taken several steps designed to keep airliners and helicopters separate in the busy skies around National.
An FAA summary of Thursday’s incident obtained by The Washington Post says the helicopter was not within newly restricted airspace and was following new rules requiring it to broadcast its location using a satellite-based system.
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/airliners-abort-landings-as-army-helicopter-makes-scenic-loop-around-pentagon/ar-AA1E4RBA?ocid=msedgdhp&pc=HCTS&cvid=e443a1cac19c4ea4afdfcb31c3f58c44&ei=69
