Three planes diverted at DCA to avoid police helicopter

Three planes diverted at DCA to avoid US Park Police Helicopter

Three planes were diverted at DCA to avoid US Park Police Helicopter

WASHINGTON - Three flights were diverted Sunday morning at Reagan Airport to avoid a police helicopter, multiple sources confirm. 

What we know:

Air traffic control canceled landing clearances for three flights Sunday morning, due to a police helicopter. 

US Park Police confirmed their Aviation Unit was requested to search for people in connection to 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," said U.S. Park Police in a statement. 

The FAA released a statement following the incident, saying "the FAA does not allow helicopters and airplanes to simultaneously operate in the airspace around Reagan Washington National Airport except in rare circumstances. Accordingly, air traffic control cancelled landing clearances for three flights earlier today while a police helicopter was on an urgent mission in that airspace." 

All three flights landed at DCA after making second approaches, per the FAA. 

One of the flights was American Eagle flight 5219, operated by PSA Airlines. In a statement, American Airlines confirmed that the flight "followed air traffic control direction to discontinue its approach" before landing safely shortly after. 

What they're saying:

Aviation Expert Richard Levy says pilots train all the time for situations like these, but they’re not necessarily a common occurrence.

"Kudos to the air traffic controllers who asked or told the different airline operators to execute a go-around. Good decision. And as you said a moment ago, we all have to operate together in this airspace and we all have needs. Airline traffic does and so does the military. So do the police. But we need to operate it safely and keep safety number one and they will do that," said Levy. 

The backstory:

Sunday's incidents follow two other "go-arounds" on Thursday due to a U.S. Army Black Hawk helicopter inbound to the Pentagon Army Heliport.

Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation Ranking Member Maria Cantwell, D-Wash., confirmed the Black Hawk helicopter came from the same Army Aviation brigade as the helicopter involved in the deadly Jan. 29 midair collision over the Potomac River.

"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 wrote in a statement. "This comes less than a week after this brigade resumed flights in the National Capital Region. It is far past time for [Defense] Secretary [Pete] Hegseth and the FAA to give our airspace the security and safety attention it deserves."

In March, the FAA announced that it would permanently restrict "non-essential" helicopter operations around the airport, and eliminate helicopter and fixed-wing mixed traffic.

The agency also prohibited the simultaneous use of runways 15/33 and 4/22 when helicopters conducting urgent missions are operating near DCA.