Two flights had to abort their landings at Reagan Washington National Airport on Thursday due to the close proximity of a U.S. military helicopter, prompting investigations by the Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board.
The FAA put restrictions in place limiting the travel pathways of military helicopters following a Jan. 29 collision between a Black Hawk helicopter and an American Airlines flight that killed 67 people.
Despite the new restrictions, Delta Air Lines Flight 1671, coming in from Orlando, and Republic Airways Flight 5825, flying in from Boston, were instructed to perform go-arounds due to the presence of a military helicopter on its way to the Pentagon.
The FAA is investigating whether the Army helicopter’s route violated the new restrictions.
“It appears the Black Hawk operation did not proceed directly to the Pentagon Heliport. Instead it took a scenic route around the Pentagon versus proceeding directly from the west to the heliport,” the FAA said in a statement to Reuters.
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A Pentagon press officer told the Washington Examiner that the Department of Defense is aware of the incident.
“We are aware of reports,” the press officer said in a statement. “We don’t have anything to provide at this time.”
