airtraffic

Author Topic: KDCA - US Army Blackhawks cause 3x RA/go-arounds for arrivals on final Rwy19  (Read 241 times)

Online baldiedc

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Tuesday 10/22/24 ~1300Z / 0900AM ET - two pairs of UH60 Blackhawks (PAT01+flight, PAT03+flight) departing Pentagon northbound 10 minutes apart, took an unusual route through Zone 5 (Arlington VA area) west of the Potomac river close to the Rwy 19 arrival corridor, at about 700-800ft.  Tower provided notifications of helicopter activity to incoming traffic and visual separation clearances to PAT, but this apparently triggered RA's and go-arounds for 3 flights (AAL2426, AAL220 and RPA4385).

1254Z PAT01+flight lifted Pentagon
1257Z AAL2426 go-around from 1275ft

1305Z PAT03+flight lifted Pentagon
1307Z AAL220 go-around from 1200ft
1309Z RPA4385 go-around from 1625ft (PAT03 ~1000ft)

(Altitudes per FlightAware / ADSB-Exchange).

Recordings edited for content to remove other transmissions, but left in realtime.  Combination of DCA Tower and DCA Helicopter archives.  Departure also had to deal with two go-arounds ("whoa whoa"), bringing AAL220 back to Final behind RPA4385.