Transport Secretary Shawn Duffy criticized the Department of Defense on Friday after an Army helicopter caused two commercial jets landing at Reagan National Airport to change their flight paths.
According to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), Air Traffic Control instructed Delta and Republic Airlines flights to go around due to “priority air transport helicopters approaching the Pentagon helipad” on Thursday.
Reports indicated that the incident happened when an Army helicopter took a “scenic route” near the airport.
Duffy expressed his discontent on social media, stating, “This is not acceptable. Helicopter guidelines around DCA are clear. In addition to engaging with @ntsb and @faanews, we’ll discuss this with @deptofdefense to understand why the rules were bypassed.”
A tragic collision between an Army Black Hawk helicopter and an American Airlines flight in January resulted in 67 fatalities, which led to tighter restrictions on helicopter operations near the airport in March.
“Safety always has to be the priority. We lost 67 lives. Any more helicopter operations for unnecessary training in the busy DCA airspace, crowded with civilians, are not justifiable. People should consider taking taxis or Ubers instead,” he added.
The Hill reached out to the Department of Defense for comments regarding the Thursday incident, which took place around 2:30 PM local time, according to the FAA.
Lawmakers from both political parties echoed similar concerns to Duffy on social media.
Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) remarked, “It’s time for the FAA to act promptly and take charge of the National Aviation Space. This should prevent the Army from running air taxis for military personnel close to Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport.”
Sen. Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.) labeled the incident as “outrageous,” emphasizing that “the Army and the FAA must reassess operations and report back to Capitol Hill on what measures are necessary to ensure that DCA airspace remains secure. We’ve already experienced a tragedy that should have never occurred.”
Since the deadly crash in January, authorities have been focusing on revising the FAA’s employment practices for air traffic controllers and advising pilots on flight patterns.
The FAA and the National Transportation Safety Board will be leading the investigation into this recent incident, with a preliminary report expected in the coming weeks. Spokespersons for Delta and Republic Airlines stated they would cooperate fully with the investigation.
