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Senn’s notice emphasized that this maneuver led to a “loss of separation” — an official term meaning that aircraft violated minimum safety distances. Although the incident did not occur within the newly restricted “mixed traffic area” imposed after January’s disaster, the proximity was dangerously close.
In an official statement, the FAA confirmed that a “priority transport” heading toward the Pentagon’s helipad forced Delta Air Lines and Republic Airways flights to abandon their approaches around 2:30 p.m. Thursday afternoon.
The situation became even more serious after investigators revealed how close the aircraft came to disaster. Senn reported that the Delta jet and the Army helicopter were separated by less than a mile horizontally and just 400 feet vertically. Meanwhile, the Republic flight and the Black Hawk came within an alarming 0.4 miles and 200 feet of each other.
The recklessness sparked outrage on Capitol Hill.
Sen. Maria Cantwell (D-WA), the top Democrat on the Senate Commerce Committee, pulled no punches. She issued a scathing statement saying, “It is outrageous that only three months after an Army Black Hawk helicopter tragically collided with a passenger jet, the same Army brigade again flew a helicopter too close to passenger jets on final approach” at Reagan National.
Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX), who chairs the Senate Commerce Committee, slammed the Army for what he sees as an ongoing pattern of putting civilian travelers in danger. “The Army is once again putting the traveling public at risk,” he said in a post on X. Cruz demanded urgent action, adding, “It’s time for the FAA to act swiftly and assert control over the national airspace so the Army stops running air taxis for military officials near Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport.”
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy also didn’t hold back, publicly blaming the Army on X. “Unacceptable. Our helicopter restrictions around DCA are crystal clear,” he posted, promising to take the issue up directly with the Pentagon.
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Duffy, who has been vocal about prioritizing safety following the January catastrophe, added a pointed rebuke: “Safety must ALWAYS come first. We just lost 67 souls! No more helicopter rides for VIPs or unnecessary training in a congested DCA airspace full of civilians. Take a taxi or Uber – besides most VIPs have black car service.”
While the FAA has pledged a full investigation, many in Congress are demanding immediate reforms to prevent another close call — or worse, another deadly disaster. Americans deserve better than VIP helicopter joyrides putting countless lives at risk.
