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5d ago

FAA Tightens Helicopter Safety Controls at Las Vegas Airport After Collision Risks Uncovered

New measures, including stricter separation standards and enhanced advisories, have cut collision alerts by 30% as the FAA expands its data-driven review to other high-risk airports.

Image
Planes on the tarmac at Harry Reid International Airport in Las Vegas on March 15.
An American Airlines plane departs the Ronald Reagan Washington National, in the aftermath of the collision of American Eagle flight 5342 and a Black Hawk helicopter that crashed into the Potomac River, with the Capitol dome in the background, as seen from Virginia, U.S., February 1, 2025. REUTERS/Eduardo Munoz/File Photo

Overview

  • The FAA identified significant safety issues at Harry Reid International Airport in Las Vegas, including undefined helicopter separation standards and insufficient traffic advisories.
  • Immediate measures, such as exercising positive control over helicopters and issuing more advisories, reduced collision alerts by 30% within three weeks.
  • The review follows January's deadly midair collision near Reagan National Airport, which killed 67 and prompted nationwide scrutiny of helicopter operations in mixed-traffic airspace.
  • The FAA is employing machine learning to analyze incident reports and identify other high-risk locations, including airports in Los Angeles and offshore corridors in the Gulf of America.
  • A rulemaking committee is being established to address broader safety concerns in the commercial air tour industry, following recent helicopter crashes.