The Federal Aviation Administration is restricting helicopters around Reagan National Airport following Wednesday’s deadly midair collision between an American Airlines regional jet and an Army Black Hawk helicopter, the Associated Press reported on Friday.
Citing an anonymous source, the Associated Press reported that most helicopters won’t be allowed to use low-to-the-ground routes that run under or parallel to the airport’s flightpaths. The FAA has yet to publicly confirm the AP’s report.
Friday’s report comes as President Donald Trump stated in a social media post that the “helicopter was flying too high, by a lot.”
“It was far above the 200-foot limit. That’s not really too complicated to understand, is it?” he added.
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One day earlier, President Trump suggested that race or gender “may have” played a role in Wednesday’s crash that likely killed all 64 on board American Airlines Flight 5342 and three people inside the Black Hawk helicopter.
Officials uncovered the plane’s flight data and voice recorders on Thursday, which could provide additional details on what led to Wednesday’s collision.
There have long been concerns over air traffic congestion around Reagan National Airport. As part of the FAA Reauthorization Act of 2024, Reagan National Airport was authorized to add flights from five cities amid ongoing concerns that the airport could not handle any additional traffic.
