Potential safety issues at Las Vegas Harry Reid International Airport have been uncovered by a federal review into the January mid-air crash between a military helicopter and a passenger jet in Washington, D.C.
All 64 people on board American Airlines Flight 5342 to Reagan Washington National Airport and the three on the Black Hawk helicopter died in the deadliest air disaster in the United States since 2001, which triggered a nationwide review of “hotspot” airports with mixed air traffic. Administrators say they took immediate action after reviewing the situation in Las Vegas.
Local helicopter companies were previously instructed to avoid airplane arrival and departure corridors, but these areas lacked vertical and lateral measurements, according to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). Additionally, tower controllers did not issue traffic advisories between returning tourist helicopter trips and the arrival or departure of planes.
“We took quick action, including exercising positive control over the helicopters and issuing more traffic advisories to pilots. As a result, the number of traffic alert and collision avoidance system reports decreased by 30 percent in just three weeks,” Acting FAA Administrator Chris Rocheleau said.
More action is planned at more airports in and around Las Vegas, as well as in other locations. These include Hollywood Burbank Airport and Van Nuys Airport in the greater LA area, which are 10 miles apart and “each serve a wide mix of aircraft, and they have closely spaced arrival and departure paths,” Rocheleau said.
“What I think the FAA wants is more communication. I think in the case of Harry Reid, they were a little bit concerned about helicopters coming back inbound and mixing, remixing with fixed-winged aircraft. I think they were concerned about separation procedures and the communication procedures,” pilot and aviation expert Reed Yadon told NBC affiliate KSNV of Las Vegas.
NBC News contacted the Clark County Department of Aviation, which owns and operates Harry Reid, for comment. The county referred questions from KSNV and The Associated Press to the FAA.
Both Burbank and Van Nuys Airports were also contacted for comment.
The FAA permanently banned non-essential helicopter trips around Reagan Washington National Airport after January’s accident and promised to investigate areas with busy mixed air traffic.
The administration held a roundtable discussion on Tuesday, stressing that potential collisions between planes and helicopters were just one of the hazards.
“The top causes of accidents are loss of control, striking an object during low-altitude operations,” Rocheleau said, as well as intentionally and unintentionally flying into bad weather.
The FAA said that this work began months before the Hudson River helicopter crash in New York earlier this month, in which six people died, but Rocheleau added that that crash “underscored that aviation safety is not static.”
Helicopter flights in New York were grounded after that accident, and the flight operator is shutting down.
The rulemaking committee members include aircraft and aircraft technology manufacturers, air tour operators and organizations, and aviation safety experts. They’ll hold the first meeting on May 20 and provide recommendations to us by late September 2025.
“While flying remains the safest mode of transportation, we must always strive to do better. We have to identify trends and get smarter about how we use data. And when we put corrective actions in place, we must execute them,” Rocheleau said.
Aviation lawyer Robert Clifford, who is acting for some of the families of those who were killed in the January crash in Washington, welcomed the moves to improve safety.
“As a frequent critic of the FAA, I must say that the FAA deserves recognition for taking these steps to protect the traveling public,” Clifford said. “Helicopters are known for being the most dangerous and potentially unsafe aircraft. The extra vigilance by the FAA may save many lives.”