The National Transportation Safety Board on Tuesday issued “urgent recommendations” that the Federal Aviation Administration prohibit helicopters from using the route an Army Blackhawk was taking when it collided with a passenger plane near Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport in January.
The recommendations, issued along with the NTSB’s preliminary report, are among the first findings of an ongoing investigation at the board and the FAA. The crash killed all 60 passengers and four crewmembers on the plane, as well as three soldiers operating the helicopter.
The preliminary report attributed a congested airspace and risky helicopter routes surrounding the airport as a probable cause. NTSB Chair Jennifer Homendy said the investigation revealed that some routes only provide 75 feet of clearance between those aircraft and commercial planes.
