An airliner and a helicopter had a close call that could have led to a deadly accident last week. A military helicopter almost collided with a regional airliner at Reagan National Airport near Washington.
The helicopter and the plane were flying at the same altitude and were approximately 950 feet apart laterally when they were at their closest point according to Eric Weiss, spokesman for the National Transportation Safety Board. The Board is now investigating the close call, the Associated Press reports.
Republic Airlines flight 3281 just descended to 400 feet as it was trying to land at the airport when the helicopter, which was flying lower and further ahead of the plane, rose 400 feet at the same time, according to the Federal Aviation Administration
The close call set off an alarm on the Republic Airlines flight. The pilot received a warning of a potential impending collision, Weiss said. The pilot decided to abort the landing and circled around the airport instead. The pilot landed safely later on. According to Weiss, this incident occurred at around 4:05 p.m.
The airliner involved in the close call was an Embraer 175, a twin-engine jet that typically seats 80 passengers. The flight took off from Columbus, Ohio, and was destined for Huntsville, Ala. After making a stop in Washington, Weiss said.
The helicopter involved in the incident was a Bell UH-1 based at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland using the call sign Mussel 9. This particular type of helicopter had one engine with a two-bladed main rotor and tail rotor.
There is a UH-1 helicopter squadron that is part of the Air Force's 11th wing. This military security base is located in the Washington area.
There was some confusion at first as the FAA identified the helicopter as a UH-60, commonly known as a Black Hawk, but it was later confirmed as a UH-1.
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