Helicopter flights around Reagan National Airport are now prohibited, federal officials announced Friday. The flight path along the Potomac River that an Army helicopter was on when it collided with a passenger plane in Washington on Wednesday was implemented to keep helicopters below planes flying in the area, the New York Times reports. Radar and other data suggest the Black Hawk was above the permitted 200-foot ceiling for helicopter flights at the time of the crash, per the Washington Post.
The Federal Aviation Administration plans to restrict helicopter flights between the Woodrow Wilson Bridge and the Memorial Bridge on the river, as well as over the airport, per NPR.
The change affects routes used by military and law-enforcement pilots along the Potomac and Anacostia rivers. "Today's decision will immediately help secure the airspace near Reagan Airport, ensuring the safety of airplane and helicopter traffic," Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said in a statement. The Times reports that the Black Hawk pilot on Wednesday night asked the air traffic controller for permission to take a predetermined route along the east side of the river, not to exceed 200 feet above the ground.
That route would have kept the helicopter clear of the jet. But people briefed on the investigation said the helicopter didn't stick to that route or altitude. It was above 300 feet and at least a half-mile off the approved route at the time of the collision, they said. The helicopter crew had taken the route before and was aware of the restrictions. The FAA didn't say how long the prohibition on helicopter flights will be in place. Flights for medical emergencies and involving top government officials are exempt. (More Potomac plane crash stories.)