Report: Two Planes Aborted Landings at DCA Due to Helicopters in Flight Path Week Before Crash

Military helicopter flight paths near Reagan National Airport face increased scrutiny following a deadly collision with a commercial flight.

 

Military Helicopter Flights Forced Plane Landings to Be Aborted Before Deadly Collision

In the week leading up to a tragic midair collision that likely claimed 67 lives, military helicopter flights forced at least two planes to abort their landings at Reagan National Airport, according to a report.

On Tuesday night—just a day before an American Airlines flight collided with an Army Black Hawk helicopter—a different aircraft reported to air traffic control that it had to abort its landing to avoid a helicopter, the Washington Post reported.

Another flight arriving at DCA from Charlotte had to abandon its landing on January 23 for the same reason.

“They had to circle back around because there was a helicopter in the flight path,” said Richard Hart, a passenger on the January 23 flight. “At the time, I found it odd… Now, I find it disturbingly tragic.”

These incidents occurred within days of Wednesday’s catastrophic collision, in which an inbound commercial flight from Wichita, Kansas, crashed into a military helicopter over the Potomac River. American Airlines Flight 5342 was carrying 64 people, including four crew members, while three soldiers were aboard the Army Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk from Fort Belvoir, Virginia. All are presumed dead.

The disaster has raised concerns about frequent military training flights around Reagan National Airport, particularly a helicopter lane that intersects with the southeastern approach to Runway 33, where American Eagle Flight 5342 attempted to land, according to the Washington Post.

To manage these risks, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has assigned an air traffic controller specifically for helicopters at the airport’s control tower. However, an internal FAA report indicated that staffing levels at the tower on Wednesday were “not normal for the time of day and volume of traffic,” the Associated Press reported.

Despite this, a source familiar with the situation told Fox News Digital that staffing was at a normal level. The source explained that controllers often combine roles if they step away for breaks, shift changes, or during slower traffic periods. A supervisor had combined positions on Wednesday night, but the reason remains unclear. When asked about the volume of air traffic that evening, the source described it as moderate.

A 2023 Government Accountability Office (GAO) report cited by the Washington Post found that between 2017 and 2019, about 88,000 helicopter flights operated within 30 miles of DCA. Efforts have been made to define safe flight paths for military helicopters, ensuring they do not interfere with commercial air traffic. A 2021 GAO report noted that the FAA imposes altitude restrictions on helicopters in areas where their routes overlap with commercial airplane operations to maintain safety.

On Wednesday night, air traffic controllers contacted the Black Hawk pilot as Flight 5342 approached Runway 33.

“Do you have the CRJ in sight?” the controller asked, referring to the passenger jet.

The helicopter pilot confirmed visual contact and requested “visual separation,” meaning he was attempting to move out of the plane’s path, according to FlightRadar24 audio. Moments later, the two aircraft collided in a fiery explosion.

Jim Brauchle, a former U.S. Air Force navigator and an attorney representing aviation disaster victims’ families, explained the challenges of spotting other aircraft at night.

“People might think, ‘How hard is it to miss an airliner?’ But it’s much more difficult than they expect,” he told Fox News Digital.

In urban areas like Washington, D.C., ambient lighting from buildings and towers can make it difficult for pilots to distinguish aircraft lights from other sources.

“What I’ve heard from the audio is that air traffic control called out to the helicopter, and the pilot said he had the aircraft in sight,” Brauchle said. “My guess—pure speculation—is that they saw something they thought was the airplane. Maybe it was a tower light, another aircraft, or something else. Whatever they saw, it obviously wasn’t the plane.”

The FAA and other federal agencies are investigating the cause of the collision.

The close call on Tuesday night—the day before the crash—involved Republic Airways Flight 4514 from Connecticut, according to the Washington Post. The pilot told air traffic controllers the aircraft had to divert due to an emergency alert about helicopter traffic below.

Flight tracking data showed the plane heading south along the Potomac River corridor toward Reagan National before making a sharp turn west. It later landed safely at 8:16 p.m.

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