Federal authorities indefinitely restricted helicopter flights near Washington, DC’s Reagan National Airport on Friday, following a midair collision that killed 67 people. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) barred most helicopters from parts of two routes near the airport, allowing only police and medical flights.
The crash involved an American Airlines CRJ700 passenger jet and a U.S. Army Black Hawk helicopter. Investigators recovered the flight’s black boxes, but the cause remains unclear. The collision occurred at about 300 feet, above the 200-foot limit for military helicopters in the area.
Concerns over air safety have intensified, especially as the FAA faces a shortage of 3,000 air traffic controllers. Only one controller was on duty at the time, handling local traffic alone—a situation deemed “not normal” but acceptable for lower traffic volumes.
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy vowed to reform the FAA, while Senator Maria Cantwell called for a review of military and civilian flight separations. The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) is analyzing cockpit and flight data recorders to determine what went wrong.
President Donald Trump blamed the helicopter for flying too high, while also suggesting diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) policies played a role—drawing criticism from Democrats and civil rights activists.
Victims included passengers from Russia, China, Germany, and the Philippines, along with young figure skaters and Kansas residents. The Army has grounded flights from the involved unit and is reassessing regional training exercises.
Reagan National’s unique airspace, congestion, and short runways add to landing challenges, pilots say. Meanwhile, recovery teams continue efforts to retrieve wreckage from the Potomac River.
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