US EditionFAA tightens helicopter safety rules near airports after National Airport crash
FAA ends pilot visual separation near 150+ busy airports after 15,000+ close calls from 2021-2024 and a fatal 2025 mid-air collision killed 67, requiring radar use by controllers.
- On Wednesday, March 18, 2026, the Federal Aviation Administration suspended visual separation between helicopters and airplanes at over 150 major airports, mandating radar-based spacing to reduce collision risks.
- This policy shift follows a year-long review and the January 2025 mid-air collision near Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport that killed 67 people, revealing inadequacy in pilot-applied 'see and avoid' procedures.
- FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford stated that data analysis revealed 'an overreliance on pilot see and avoid operations,' contributing to safety events like recent close calls in San Antonio and Hollywood Burbank Airport.
- Air traffic controllers must now use radar to manage lateral and vertical distances, a change the National Air Traffic Controllers Association confirmed its members will follow to enhance aviation safety.
- While the FAA acknowledges potential helicopter delays, the mandate aims to proactively mitigate risks across the National Airspace System, preventing future incidents like the more than 15,000 close calls reported between 2021 and 2024.
48 Articles
48 Articles
Air traffic controllers will use radar, and not just visual checks, to ensure that helicopters maintain a safe distance from incoming and outgoing aircraft, following last year’s deadly air collision near Washington, D.C., as announced by federal officials on Wednesday. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) stated that recent incidents that were about to turn into collisions demonstrate that previous guidelines forcing pilots to maintain vis…
Washington.- More than a year after the aerial collision that left 67 dead in the vicinity of Ronald Reagan National Airport in Washington, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) ordered a fundamental change in the control protocols. Now, controllers will have to use radar - and not just visual observation - to keep helicopters and aircraft separated in high traffic areas. The measure, announced on Wednesday, will apply to more than 150 airpo…
FAA Requires Radar Separation for Helicopters, Planes
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) announced on March 18 that air traffic controllers at more than 150 airports are now required to use radar instead of visual checks to keep helicopters at a safe distance from landing and departing aircraft. The change came more than a year after an apparent failure in maintaining visual separation resulted in the mid-air collision of an Army Black Hawk helicopter and an American Airlines regional jet at…
FAA Tightens Airspace Safety After Deadly D.C. Crash
Under a sweeping new safety directive announced Wednesday, the FAA will require air traffic controllers to use radar, rather than pilot visual judgment, to separate airplanes and helicopters in some of the nation's busiest airspaces.
Coverage Details
Bias Distribution
- 68% of the sources are Center
Factuality
To view factuality data please Upgrade to Premium
