A helicopter operated by the U.S. Park Police forced three commercial aircraft to abort landings at Reagan National Airport (DCA) on Sunday, again raising concerns about airspace safety in the Washington, D.C. region under the Trump administration.
According to the Federal Aviation Administration, Southwest Flight 3716, American Eagle 5219, and United 2166 were all instructed to perform go-around maneuvers when a Park Police helicopter entered restricted airspace.
The FAA has limited helicopter access to DCA airspace following a Jan. 29 midair collision between a Black Hawk helicopter and a regional passenger jet that killed 67 people — marking the deadliest U.S. aviation disaster since 2001.
“The FAA does not allow helicopters and airplanes to simultaneously operate in the airspace around Reagan Washington National Airport except in rare circumstances,” the agency posted Sunday on X. “Accordingly, air traffic control canceled landing clearances for three flights earlier today while a police helicopter was on an urgent mission in that airspace.”
The United States Park Police said their helicopter was responding to a request to search for missing persons following a car crash on the George Washington Memorial Parkway. “The mission was flown in coordination with the air traffic control tower, and all proper procedures were followed,” USPP officials said.
But the incident comes just one week after a May 1 close call when two commercial planes were also forced to abort landings due to an Army Black Hawk helicopter.
According to FAA Assistant Administrator Chris Senn in an email reported by Politico, that aircraft took a “scenic route around the Pentagon” instead of flying directly to its destination, prompting a last-minute diversion of two jetliners.
Senn called the Black Hawk’s maneuver a violation of safety standards. U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy reportedly called the episode “unacceptable.”
Following the January crash, the FAA imposed tighter restrictions in the crowded airspace around Reagan National. These included closing a key helicopter route along the Potomac River and requiring military aircraft to broadcast their location using satellite-based tracking systems.
Despite those changes, Sunday’s disruption has renewed criticism over how airspace is managed, especially involving military aircraft.
Sen. Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.), the ranking member on the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, blasted the Department of Defense and the FAA for what she called an alarming pattern of negligence.
“It is outrageous that only three months after an Army Black Hawk helicopter tragically collided with a passenger jet, the same Army brigade again flew a helicopter too close to passenger jets on final approach at DCA,” Cantwell said. “It is far past time for [Defense] Secretary [Pete] Hegseth and the FAA to give our airspace the security and safety attention it deserves.”
