The US aviation regulator stated Friday it has ordered stricter security round Washington’s Ronald Reagan airport after a devastating collision between a passenger jet and a army helicopter. Helicopter visitors might be restricted across the airport, the place an American Eagle airliner hit a army Black Hawk on January 29, killing 67 folks.
The Federal Aviation Administration additionally closed a part of a hall close to Ronald Reagan Nationwide Airport that the army helicopter was utilizing when it collided with the Bombardier CRJ-700 jet. Each fell into the freezing Potomac River.
The route was simply 23 meters (75 toes) from the hall utilized by the American Eagle jet because it got here into land. The Nationwide Transportation Security Board has already warned of a threat of extra collisions across the airport except helicopter entry was lower.
The FAA stated it was taking “a collection of steps to enhance security” round Reagan airport following NTSB suggestions.
These included “completely limiting non-essential helicopter operations” across the airport and “eliminating helicopter and fixed-wing blended visitors”, the FAA assertion stated.
Reagan airport is in a closely urbanized zone near the Protection Division headquarters and the FAA stated different routes could be discovered for helicopters.
“If a helicopter should fly by way of the airspace on an pressing mission, akin to lifesaving medical, precedence regulation enforcement, or presidential transport, the FAA will hold them particular distances away from airplanes.”
Two runways might be closed when helicopters on pressing missions are close to the airport, the company added.
NTSB head Jennifer Homendy stated this week that the distances between helicopter visitors and industrial airliners across the airport posed “an insupportable threat to aviation security”.
The investigation into the January 29 catastrophe is just not full however has already highlighted totally different variations over the altitude the army helicopter was flying at and communication difficulties between the crew and the management tower and the looming American Eagle jet.
