Transportation Secretary Blasts Department of Defense after Army Black Hawk Chopper’s ‘Scenic’ Flight Causes Near Misses with 2 Jetliners in DC…

by Paul Sacca at Blaze Media

‘No more helicopter rides for VIPs or unnecessary training in a congested DCA airspace full of civilians.’

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy blasted the Defense Department after an Army Black Hawk helicopter took a “scenic route” around Washington, D.C., which caused near misses with two commercial jetliners attempting to land at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport.

Around 2:30 p.m. on Thursday, an Army Black Hawk helicopter allegedly had close calls with two commercial airliners.

‘Our helicopter restrictions around DCA are crystal clear.’

The Federal Aviation Administration said in an incident report, “Air traffic control instructed Delta Air Lines Flight 1671 and Republic Airways Flight 5825 to perform go-arounds at the Reagan Washington National Airport due to a Priority Air Transport helicopter inbound to the Pentagon Army Heliport.”

The Army Black Hawk helicopter “took a scenic route around the Pentagon versus proceeding directly from the west to the heliport,” according to an email obtained by Politico from Chris Senn, Federal Aviation Administration assistant administrator for government and industry affairs…