NTSB Investigating Jet, Black Hawk Close Call at DCA

Two commercial airplanes were forced to go around to avoid the chopper.

Aircraft at Reagan National Airport (Photo: Shutterstock | Kit Leong)

[ News ]May 2, 2025 4:54 pm ET

By Caleb Revill

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) is investigating another incident involving commercial aircraft and a U.S. Army Black Hawk helicopter at the Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport in Washington D.C.

The NTSB posted on social media Friday that it was looking into the incident that occurred on Thursday. The post stated that a Delta Airbus A319 and a Republic Embraer E170 were told to perform go-arounds while the helicopter traveled to the Pentagon.

The Federal Aviation Administration told AirlineGeeks in an emailed statement that the incident occurred around 2:30 p.m. local time on Thursday due to a “priority air transport helicopter” entering the area.

“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 FAA stated. “The FAA and NTSB are investigating the event that occurred around 2:30 p.m. local time on Thursday, May 1. The NTSB will lead the investigation and provide any updates.”

Flightradar24 data showing Delta flight and PAT helicopter (Photo: Flightradar24)

According to ADS-B data on Flightradar24, the Delta flight was arriving from Orlando, and initiated a go-around at around 700 feet. It is unclear how close the aircraft were to each other.

The Republic flight was arriving from Boston.

CNN reported that the Black Hawk crew “did not proceed directly to the Pentagon” and instead “took a scenic route around,” per the FAA.

This incident comes just over four months after a Black Hawk helicopter – also operating under the Priority Air Transport callsign – collided with a PSA Airlines CRJ-700, killing all 67 people on both aircraft.

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Ryan Ewing

Ryan founded AirlineGeeks.com back in February 2013 and has amassed considerable experience in the aviation sector. His work has been featured in several publications and news outlets, including CNN, WJLA, CNET, and Business Insider. During his time in the industry, he's worked in roles pertaining to airport/airline operations while holding a B.S. in Air Transportation Management from Arizona State University along with an MBA. Ryan has experience in several facets of the industry from behind the yoke of a Cessna 172 to interviewing airline industry executives. Ryan works for AirlineGeeks' owner FLYING Media, spearheading coverage in the commercial aviation space.

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Caleb Revill

Caleb Revill is a journalist, writer and lifelong learner working as a Junior Writer for Firecrown. When he isn't tackling breaking news, Caleb is on the lookout for fascinating feature stories. Every person has a story to tell, and Caleb wants to help share them! He can be contacted by email anytime at [email protected].
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Ryan Ewing

Ryan founded AirlineGeeks.com back in February 2013 and has amassed considerable experience in the aviation sector. His work has been featured in several publications and news outlets, including CNN, WJLA, CNET, and Business Insider. During his time in the industry, he's worked in roles pertaining to airport/airline operations while holding a B.S. in Air Transportation Management from Arizona State University along with an MBA. Ryan has experience in several facets of the industry from behind the yoke of a Cessna 172 to interviewing airline industry executives. Ryan works for AirlineGeeks' owner FLYING Media, spearheading coverage in the commercial aviation space.
View all posts