The U.S. Army says its internal review of a May 1 air traffic event near Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport found its UH-60M Black Hawk, operating as PAT 23, remained on authorized routes and never posed a conflict with other aircraft while landing at the Pentagon. The helicopter carried no passengers, and its position was continuously transmitted via ADS-B Out during the flight, according to the Army.
Air traffic controllers at Reagan National issued go-arounds to two inbound commercial flights—Delta 1671 and RPA 5825—out of caution, the Army said. The service attributed the first go-around, which happened before the helicopter reached the Pentagon helipad, to an air-traffic sequencing issue at the DCA Tower. The second came during PAT 23’s next pattern and was linked to mismatched data from legacy tracking systems, the Army said.
On its initial approach, the Army helicopter also performed a go-around while awaiting clearance from the Pentagon Tower, a standard procedure that was relayed to the DCA Tower, the service said.
Army officials said they support ongoing efforts to modernize air traffic systems, citing initiatives led by Secretary Duffy aimed at reducing discrepancies tied to older technologies.
“We are committed to safe and professional aviation operations in all airspace,” said Brig. Gen. Matthew Braman, director of Army Aviation. “We continue to work closely with the FAA to update procedures prior to resuming Pentagon flight operations in support of national security missions.”
