The Federal Aviation Administration has updated helicopter route charts at several Washington, D.C. area airports, including some permanent changes eight months after a midair collision that killed 67 people on approach to Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA).
On Thursday, the agency announced that safety improvements at DCA include keeping helicopter routes 1 and 5 restricted to priority aircraft only, medical and law enforcement unless specifically authorized by air traffic control.
The FAA has also reduced the boundaries of zones 1, 2, and 5 and added more notes for the DCA helicopter chart to improve clarity around altitude and operational instructions.
The agency issued updates for nearby airports as well, modifying routes for Baltimore/Washington Thurgood Marshall International Airport (BWI) in Maryland and Virginia's Washington Dulles International Airport (IAD).
"These changes are a precautionary measure that will add an additional buffer between aircraft and increase the separation between helicopters and airplanes operating into and out of each airport," the FAA said.
Southwest Airlines plane landing at Baltimore/Washington International Airport. (Photo Credit: Patrick Clarke)
At BWI, the FAA moved Route 12 north of I-95 to provide traffic with increased separation for arrivals and departures, while at Dulles, officials increased Route 7’s crossing altitude by 500 feet to increase the approved separation if an aircraft performs a go-around.
Additional FAA actions at DCA in the wake of January's deadly midair collision involving an American Airlines flight and an Army Black Hawk helicopter include establishing procedures to eliminate helicopter and fixed-wing mixed traffic near the airport; permanently closing Route 4 between Hains Point and the Wilson Bridge; revising agreements with the military to require ADS-B Out broadcasting and discontining take offs from the Pentagon until the FAA and Department of Defense updated procedures and fixed technical issues at the Pentagon Heliport.
The FAA also eliminated the use of visual separation within five miles of the airport, published modifications to helicopter zones and routes, moving them farther away from flight paths at the airport, increased support, oversight and staffing at DCA and collaborated with industry partners and stakeholders.
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