Overview
- The Army's 12th Aviation Battalion has suspended helicopter flights to the Pentagon after two commercial planes were forced to abort landings at Reagan National Airport last Thursday.
- The near-miss involved a Delta Airbus A319 and a Republic Airways Embraer E170, which were directed to perform go-arounds to avoid a Black Hawk helicopter en route to the Pentagon.
- The incident follows a January midair collision between an Army Black Hawk and an American Airlines flight near the same airport, which killed 67 people.
- The FAA and NTSB are investigating both the January crash and last week's incident, with lawmakers and Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy demanding stricter safety measures.
- The FAA has already imposed new restrictions on helicopter operations near Reagan National, including closing routes and banning mixed helicopter and fixed-wing traffic.