Washington

FAA 'permanently restricting' Washington helicopter traffic after fatal midair collision near DC airport

Published

12 months ago

March 14, 2025

Press Room

FAA 'permanently restricting' Washington helicopter traffic after fatal midair collision near DC airport

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The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) on Friday said it is “taking a series of steps” to improve safety near Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA) after a deadly Jan. 29 midair collision between a commercial plane and an Army Black Hawk helicopter over the Potomac River that killed 67 people.

The new guidelines come after the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) recommended the closure of a helicopter route near DCA Tuesday.

NTSB Board Chair Jennifer Homendy said the location of helicopter Route 4 and the final approach path to DCA runway 33 was an “intolerable risk to aviation safety by increasing the chance of a midair collision.”

National Transportation Safety Board Chair Jennifer Homendy said there were a number of potential errors that led to the Jan. 29 crash. (Pool)

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After the directive, the FAA announced in a statement Friday it is “permanently restricting non-essential helicopter operations around DCA” and “eliminating helicopter and fixed-wing mixed traffic.”

It will also permanently close Route 4 between Hains Point and the Wilson Bridge and evaluate alternative helicopter routes as recommended by the NTSB.

“If a helicopter must fly through the airspace on an urgent mission, such as lifesaving medical, priority law enforcement or presidential transport, the FAA will keep them specific distances away from airplanes,” according to a statement from the FAA.

A U.S. Army UH-60M Black Hawk helicopter. (Patryk Ogorzalek/Agencja Wyborcza.pl via Reuters, File)

The FAA will also prohibit the simultaneous use of runways 15/33 and 4/22 when helicopters conducting urgent missions are operating near DCA, according to the statement.

The deadly crash, which happened during an Army “flight check,” killed 67 people. There were no survivors.

A subsequent NTSB investigation revealed the helicopter’s crew members may not have known they were flying too high and may not have heard critical messages from air traffic control before the fatal wreck.

Wreckage in the Potomac River near Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport Jan. 30. (Kevin Lamarque/Reuters)

In addition, the military’s use of “visual separation” was criticized, with some alleging it could have contributed to the disaster.

The FAA announced Friday it will limit the use of visual separation to certain Coast Guard, Marines and Park Police helicopter operations outside the restricted airspace.

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Homendy said helicopters and planes could be as close as 75 feet apart during landing, according to previous reporting.

Officials said they identified 15,214 instances of planes getting alerts about helicopters in close proximity between October 2021 and December 2024.

NTSB investigators examine the so-called black box recovered from the American Airlines plane that crashed Jan. 29 with a U.S. Army Black Hawk helicopter near Washington, D.C. (NTSB)

The Army has said the Black Hawk crew was highly experienced and accustomed to the crowded skies around the nation’s capital.

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Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy on Tuesday said the temporary ban on helicopters near the airport would continue.

“How did the FAA not know?” Duffy asked about the flow of helicopters near the airport.

Fox News Digital’s Louis Casiano contributed to this report.

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Washington

Tulip Day Washington draws buzz as sign-up site goes down

Published

10 hours ago

March 2, 2026

Press Room

WASHINGTON – Coming up this month, spring’s most colorful new event: Tulip Day Washington.

What we know:

On March 15, 2026, Tulip Day Washington will transform DC’s National Mall into a vibrant tulip-picking garden beautiful views of U.S. Capitol

This one-day event will take place from 11:15 AM – 4:15 PM, offering a floral showcase of approximately 150,000 tulips; visitors are invited to pick their choice of 10 tulips for free upon arrival.

Dig deeper:

The registration site for Tulip Day is currently down, showing users “This site is currently unavailable. If you’re the owner of this website, please contact your hosting provider to get this resolved.”

Users on social media say the event may be sold out.

Check tulipday.eu for updates.

The backstory:

The event is organized by the Embassy of the Netherlands and Royal Anthos, a Dutch trade association, in honor of America’s 250th birthday. The display of tulips will be in the shape of the number 250.

The bulbs come from the Netherlands, but are being grown in Virginia and New Jersey.

These won’t be the first tulips on the National Mall, however. The Floral Library, also known as the Tulip Library, features 93 beds of flowers near the Tidal Basin. The Floral Library was established in 1969, and is maintained by the National Park Services. These flowers, though, are to be enjoyed only – not to be picked.

Things To Do in the DMVNewsWashington, D.C.

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Washington

PHOTOS: Long Beach State Dirtbags vs. Washington State, Baseball

Published

23 hours ago

March 2, 2026

Press Room

PHOTOS: Long Beach State Dirtbags vs. Washington State, Baseball

The562’s coverage of Dirtbags Baseball for the 2026 season is sponsored by P2S, Inc. Visit p2sinc.com to learn more.

Long Beach State dropped a 9-7 decision against Washington State on Sunday afternoon, closing out a busy weekend on Bohl Diamond at Blair Field.

The visiting Cougars took the lead for good in the eighth inning when Long Beach Poly grad Ryan Skjonsby delivered a game-winning two-run single with two outs and the bases loaded. Skjonsby was 2-for-4 with a walk, a run scored and three RBIs for Washington State in their road victory.

For the Dirtbags, catcher Damon Valdez scored twice and had a key two-run single in the sixth to help lead a Long Beach comeback. Trevor Goldenetz had a pair of hits at the top of the order, including an RBI triple. Camden Gasser walked twice and singled, improving his on-base percentage to .574 on the season.

Long Beach State (4-7) will be back in action at home on Tuesday with an exhibition match against Waseda University from Japan. The Dirtbags will then visit San Diego State on Wednesday and open Big West play at UC Santa Barbara this weekend.

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Washington

Week Ahead in Washington: March 1

Published

1 day ago

March 1, 2026

Press Room

WASHINGTON (Gray DC) – Operation “Epic Fury” — the weekend military operations carried out by the U.S. and Israel against targets in Iran — tops the agenda for Congress as lawmakers return to Washington.

Sunday, President Donald Trump said the new leadership in Iran wants to talk to the Trump Administration.

Democrats in both chambers called for Congress to return as soon as possible for classified briefings on Iran, followed by a move to vote on the War Powers Act. The Constitution gives Congress the power to declare war on another country.

Congress’ return to Washington was originally delayed due to the start of the 2026 midterm elections cycle.

Tuesday, voters in Arkansas, North Carolina and Texas head to the polls for primary elections.

North Carolina and Texas are drawing significant attention, as both states are facing congressional redistricting and competitive primary races for Senate seats.

In Texas, incumbent Sen. John Cornyn (R) is facing primary challenges from state Attorney General Ken Paxton and Rep. Wesley Hunt. On the Democratic side, Rep. Jasmine Crockett is facing state Rep. James Talarico.

In North Carolina, candidates are vying to replacing retiring Sen. Thom Tillis (R) . They include former Governor Roy Cooper (D) and former Republican National Committee Chair Michael Whatley.

Also this week, the Rev. Jesse Jackson is laid to rest. He will be honored Wednesday in Washington before a final memorial service Saturday. Jackson died Feb. 17.

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