US investigators advise partial ban on helicopter flights after DC plane crash

Federal investigators looking for the cause of the collision between a passenger jet and a US army helicopter that killed 67 people near Washington DC in late January recommended a ban on some helicopter flights on Tuesday to improve safety.

The recommendation came after a military helicopter collided with an American Airlines jet as it approached Ronald Reagan National airport over the Potomac River on 29 January. Among the victims were 28 members of the figure-skating community.

On Tuesday, Jennifer Homendy, chair of the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), said that under the current practice, helicopters and planes can be as close as 75ft apart from each other during landing. She said investigators had identified 15,214 instances of planes receiving alerts about helicopters being in close proximity between October 2021 and December 2024.

Investigators have said the helicopter may have had inaccurate altitude readings in the moments before the crash – and the crew may not have heard key instructions from air traffic controllers. The collision likely occurred at an altitude just under 300ft (91 meters), as the plane descended toward the helicopter, which was well above its 200ft (61-meter) limit for that location.

The helicopter pilots may have also missed part of another communication, when the tower said the jet was turning toward a different runway, Homendy said last month.

The helicopter was on a “check” flight that night where the pilot was undergoing an annual test and a test on using night-vision goggles, Homendy said. Investigators believe the crew had been wearing night-vision goggles throughout the flight.

The army has said the Black Hawk crew was highly experienced, and accustomed to the crowded skies around the nation’s capital. Everyone on both the regional jet and helicopter were killed.