NTSB recommends DC's Reagan airport bans helicopter use when nearby runways are in use

The National Transportation Safety Board on Tuesday urgently pushed the Federal Aviation Administration to permanently ban all helicopter operations near Washington’s Ronald Reagan National Airport when certain runways are in use, citing safety concerns.

The recommendation is part of its review of the January 29 incident, in which a Black Hawk helicopter collided with a passenger plane, killing all 67 people on board both aircrafts. 

The NTSB's 10-page report highlighted the dangers of allowing military helicopters to fly at the same time that nearby runways at the airport are in use, and specifically recommends banning helicopter flights when runways 15 and 33 are in use.

Allowing the helicopters to use the airspace at the same time that planes are coming and going from the runways poses "an intolerable risk to aviation safety by increasing the chance of a midair collision," the report said.

The NTSB's urgent safety recommendation report and its preliminary report are both available on the DCA midair collision investigation webpage.

Misty Severi is a news reporter for Just The News. You can follow her on X for more coverage.