REPORT: Sean Duffy slams Defense Dept over recent incident at Reagan Airport

May 4, 2025

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From The Hill: Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy slammed the Defense Department on Friday after an Army helicopter forced two commercial passenger jets landing at Reagan National Airport to shift course.

On Thursday, air traffic control instructed a Delta Airlines flight and Republic Airways plane to perform go-arounds due to a “Priority Air Transport helicopter inbound to the Pentagon Army Heliport,” according to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).

Multiple outlets reported on Friday that an army helicopter taking a “scenic route” near the airport caused the incident.

Helicopter operations near the airport were restricted in March after a deadly collision between an Army Black Hawk helicopter and an American Airlines passenger plane killed 67 people in January.

In a scorching post on X, Sec. Duffy wrote, “Unacceptable. Our helicopter restrictions around DCA are crystal clear. In addition to investigations from @NTSB and @FAANews, I’ll be talking to the @DeptofDefense to ask why the hell our rules were disregarded.

“Safety must ALWAYS come first. We just lost 67 souls! No more helicopter rides for VIPs or unnecessary training in a congested DCA airspace full of civilians. Take a taxi or Uber – besides most VIPs have black car service.”

Unacceptable. Our helicopter restrictions around DCA are crystal clear. In addition to investigations from @NTSB and @FAANews, I’ll be talking to the @DeptofDefense to ask why the hell our rules were disregarded.

Safety must ALWAYS come first. We just lost 67 souls! No more… https://t.co/7ijmc8MW8v

— Secretary Sean Duffy (@SecDuffy) May 2, 2025

Retired US Air Force Colonel Steve Cahanin shared a photo of the female Army helicopter pilot, Rebecca M. Lobach, who was flying the Black Hawk helicopter that crashed into the plane, killing 67 people on January 29.

“DEI quotas caused this problem. It’ll take at least a decade to fix the DEI damage in our military. You have to either remove or wait for the attrition of these people. Flying an Army helicopter is not a laugh. It’s serious business,” Col. Cahanin wrote.

DEI quotas caused this problem. It’ll take at least a decade to fix the DEI damage in our military. You have to either remove or wait for the attrition of these people. Flying an Army helicopter is not a laugh. It’s serious business. pic.twitter.com/wioR4a1bh2

— Colonel Steve Cahanin (@SteveC209687230) May 3, 2025