Deconflict Airplane and Helicopter Traffic in the Vicinity of Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport
The NTSB's investigation of this accident is ongoing; however, preliminary findings suggest that the existing separation distances between helicopter traffic operating on Route 4 and aircraft landing on runway 33 are insufficient. Therefore, the NTSB concludes that existing separation distances between helicopter traffic operating on Route 4 and aircraft landing on runway 33 are insufficient and pose an intolerable risk to aviation safety by increasing the chances of a midair collision.
Therefore, the NTSB recommends that the FAA prohibit operations on helicopter Route 4 between Hains Point and the Wilson Bridge when runways 15 and 33 are being used for departures and arrivals, respectively, at DCA. As noted previously, runway 15/33 only accounts for 5% of departures and 4% of arrivals, respectively, so the prohibition of using Route 4 would likely be infrequent, although it could still negatively impact public safety helicopter operations. |