Helicopter route permanently closed on route near Washington airport where 67 died in midair crash
WASHINGTON (AP) — Helicopters will be permanently restricted from flying near Washington, D.C.’s airport on the same route where a passenger jet and an Army helicopter collided in midair, killing 67 people, the Federal Aviation Administration said Friday.
The move comes just days after federal investigators looking into the cause of the crash recommended a ban on some helicopter flights, saying a string of near misses in recent years showed that the current setup “poses an intolerable risk.”
The FAA, which manages the nation’s airspace and oversees aviation safety, has come under criticism after the National Transportation Safety Board said there had been an alarming number of near misses in recent year in the congested skies around Ronald Reagan National Airport.
The closure of the helicopter route near the airport makes permanent restrictions put in place after Jan. 29 midair collision. The FAA order will allow a few exceptions for helicopter use, including presidential flights along with law enforcement and life-saving missions.
