KDCA 5/1/25 1830Z PAT23 Circles Pentagon for Landing / Rwy 19 Go-Arounds x2

[baldiedc]

5/1/25 - PAT23 UH-60 Blackhawk cleared to proceed inbound to Pentagon at 1827Z after holding West of DCA for gap in Rwy 19 arrivals, per the new separation procedures around DCA.  However PAT23 was instructed by Pentagon Tower to circle the Pentagon before landing, resulting in delayed landing and 2 go-arounds instructed by DCA Tower for DAL1671 @ 1831Z and RPA5825 @ 1833Z.

https://avherald.com/h?article=52732de5&opt=0

The Heli feed now picks up Pentagon frequency (w/kudos to the feed provider), tho very low audio, attempted to amplify here.  Based on these transmissions it appears there may have been some procedural issue with the final landing clearance which comes from Pentagon Tower not DCA Tower, they were asked by Pentagon Tower to circle the pad before landing, causing delay for landing and some confusion in DCA Tower on PAT23’s intention to land or not.

Based on the timeline, with some speculation:

• PAT23 was informed by TWR they would get into Pentagon after JIA5073 which was ~10 miles out when they entered hold at Glebe.
• PAT23 was cleared to proceed to Pentagon when JIA5073 was ~2 miles from the field; however PAT23 was not 'at' Glebe, it was turning away for the hold about a mile West of Glebe.
• Presumably - TWR expected PAT23 to arrive at the Pentagon more quickly ahead of DAL1671; there is 4 minute gap between JIA5073 and DAL1671, flight time from Glebe to first pass at the Pentagon helipad was about 2.5 mins, but they reported passing Glebe reporting point 80s after being cleared to leave the hold.
• Presumably - When TWR asked PAT23 to report landing assured, had to repeat that quickly due to comms miss, got response "will do", and no quick affirmation followed that they were landing assured, 15-20s later it seems TWR decided the timing wasn't going to work out and instructed DAL1671 to go-around ahead of the Pentagon.
• PAT23 had not yet been asked to circle by Pentagon Tower due to the apparent comms/procedure issue which occurs 45s after DAL1671 is sent around, and results in the go-around for RPA5825, which was about 2 mins behind DAL1671.

Timeline (Z) per HELI feed
known PAT23/Pentagon Tower comms in italics

1820.55   PAT23 checks in with Tower around Springfield requesting Route 5 to Pentagon
1822.32   PAT23 instructed to hold 3 miles West of DCA
1823.26   PAT23 instructed to proceed to Glebe and hold
1825.15   PAT23 reports holding at Glebe
1826.52   PAT23 advised of "traffic at 10.5 mile final after that traffic will get you in" (this traffic is JIA5073)
1827.31   PAT23 instructed to proceed Route 5 to Pentagon
1828.16   TWR informs LUAW of traffic [DAL1671] 8 miles out for Rwy 19
1828.47   DAL1671 cleared to land Rwy 19
1828.51   PAT23 reports Glebe (mandatory reporting point)

1830.02   TWR clears departure on Rwy 19 with "traffic [DAL1671] at 4 out"
1830.44   PAT23 instructed to report "Landing Assured", PAT23 confirms "will do"
1830.59   PAT23 contacts Pentagon Tower (inaudible)

1831.05   DAL1671 instructed to go around, climb maintain 3000.  DAL1671 is in vicinity of Rosslyn at this point.
1831.21   TWR informs LUAW of traffic [RPA2825] 4 miles out
1831.28   PAT23 contacts Pentagon Tower "we have you loud and clear (? - inaudible)"
1831.37   RPA5825 cleared to land Rwy 19
1831.40   DAL1671 given heading 280
1831.48   DAL1671 switch to Potomac 118.95 (TYSON/Departure)
1831.50   PAT23 lengthy comms with Pentagon Tower (40s) - PAT23 instructed to circle counterclockwise at or below 200ft after circling Pentagon cleared to land.  Pentagon asks PAT23 if National Tower gave them clearance to land at the helipad (response inaudible)

1833.00   TWR: "PAT23 are you with me?" / "PAT23 with you" / TWR:"Are you guys landing assured?" / "Landing Assured for PAT23"
1833.12   PAT23 comms with Pentagon (14s) - reference to "... final inbound for DCA... come around... [inaudible]"
1833.16   RPA5825 instructed to Go Around, told to climb maintain 3000.  RPA5825 is ~2 miles of DCA at this point and continues to descend passing Pentagon (~0.5nm) at ~400ft [per ADSB-Exchange] before climbing out
1833.27   RPA5825 given heading 250

1834.04   PAT23 instructed by DCA Tower "Proceed Westbound now" (no immediate response)
1834.08   TWR:"PAT 23 Tower!" / "Go for PAT23" / TWR:"PAT23 Proceed Westbound now" / "PAT23 is at the Pentagon"
1834.19   TWR:"PAT23 confirm intentions are you trying to land at Pentagon?" / PAT23:"Affirm we were just landing at Pentagon"
1834.28   RPA5825 switch to Potomac 118.95 (TYSON/Departure)

1835.15   PAT32 lengthy comms with Pentagon Tower (50s), advising PAT23 that National Tower provides clearance to the area of the Pentagon but clearance to land at Pentagon needs to come from Pentagon Tower; on approach from Route 5 they should report at Air Force Memorial and would then get clearance to land.


Combination of Tower and Heli 1800/1830Z feeds, edited for time and content, not realtime etc.

[baldiedc]

This landing on 3/4 with a circle of the Pentagon during an arrival was referenced on social media, here are the details for reference and comparison to 5/1.  This would have been in early in the resumption of flights to the Pentagon following the 1/29 crash.  Note this landing pre-dated the NTSB recommendations for helicopter separation restrictions on 3/11 (https://www.ntsb.gov/safety/safety-recs/recletters/A-25-001-002.pdf) and FAA response (https://www.faa.gov/newsroom/faa-statement-ntsb-recommendations-dca), so it's possible procedures were further amended in March to require go-arounds for separation.

3/4/25 ~2200Z Blackhawk PAT24 landing at the Pentagon via Route 5:

• PAT24 held ~10 mins at Glebe (West of DCA) for gap in arrivals per the new procedures, before being cleared inbound ahead of DAL850 which was 9-10 miles out at that time
• PAT24 made initial contact with Pentagon after proceeding inbound (apparently missing on 5/1), possibly cleared to land (hard to hear), winds provided.
• PAT24 circled prior to landing, given instructions to circle counterclockwise at or below 200ft (similar to PAT23 on 5/1).  Hard to hear the reason for the circle in this case.
• DAL850 passed Pentagon on short final, landed Rwy 19 without go-around or advisory of the helicopter activity; no issue reported by DAL850 to Tower/Ground here.
• PAT24 requested frequency switch to the Pentagon (rather than providing 'landing assured' to DCA Tower as requested on 5/1).

Note - ADSB data for PAT24 is messy/unreliable around Pentagon in this case.

Timeline (Z):
2143 PAT24 requests Route 5 to Pentagon, approved and told to hold at Glebe
2148 PAT24 reports holding at Glebe, told to wait for about 5 arrivals
2159 PAT24 cleared inbound to Pentagon behind RPA4719, contacts Pentagon tower (also still on DCA Tower).  LUAW for Rwy 19 informed next arrival (DAL850) on 9 mile final.
2200 PAT24 comms with Pentagon to circle prior to landing
2200 DAL850 cleared to land Rwy 19
2201 PAT24 requests switch to Pentagon.  Winds reported 200 at 11 gusting 18.
2203 DAL850 lands

Recording combination of TWR and HELI feeds from 2130 and 2200.  Edited for time and content, not realtime.

[baldiedc]

5/23 - excerpts below from interview with the Army in the AP, 2 things of note:

1. Army refers to a 20 second loss of contact between Pentagon and PAT23 due to antenna issue, I am assuming in the above timeline this is referring to the time from 1830.59 to 1831.28, when it seems PAT23 initially contacted the Pentagon at 1830.59, there was a brief response 10s later at 1831.09 (content inaudible on the feed); PAT23 calls again at 1831.27 with more audible response at 1831.28 apparently referring to "have you loud ?and ?clear", which would seem to fit with comms issues.

2. "FAA air traffic controllers at the airport aborted the landing of a Delta Air Lines Airbus A319 during the Black Hawk’s initial flight toward the Pentagon because they realized both aircraft would be nearing the Pentagon around the same time" (i.e. unrelated to the comms/landing issue which caused the 2nd go-around for RPA8525); this would fit with the above timeline of a 4 min window between the arrivals with a ~2.5min flight time from Glebe to Pentagon, but it took 80s to leave the hold and get to Glebe.  DAL1671 is given go-around at 1831.05 just after PAT23 tries to contact Pentagon for the first time.

In the original audio mix I posted I had edited out some of the initial PAT23/Pentagon radio calls due to the noise, so I'm attaching the original HELI feed in realtime from 1830-1837 with Pentagon transmissions amplified, otherwise unedited.  PAT23 calls on Pentagon frequency are the higher pitch static first heard at 59s.


https://apnews.com/article/army-helicopter-airport-collision-airlines-ff0cacada07048c43b55c6c4afeef256

Pentagon lost contact with Army helicopter on flight that caused jets to nix landings at DC airport

WASHINGTON (AP) — Military air traffic controllers lost contact with an Army helicopter for about 20 seconds as it neared the Pentagon on the flight that caused two commercial jets to abort their landings this month at a Washington airport, the Army told The Associated Press on Friday. (...)

Brig. Gen. Matthew Braman, the head of Army aviation, told the AP in an exclusive interview that the controllers lost contact with the Black Hawk because a temporary control tower antenna was not set up in a location where it would be able to maintain contact with the helicopter as it flew low and rounded the Pentagon to land. He said the antenna was set up during construction of a new control tower and has now been moved to the roof of the Pentagon.

Braman said federal air traffic controllers inside the Washington airport also didn’t have a good fix on the location of the helicopter. The Black Hawk was transmitting data that should have given controllers its precise location, but Braman said FAA officials told him in meetings last week that the data the controllers were getting from multiple feeds and sensors was inconclusive, with some of it deviating by as much as three-quarters of a mile.

“It certainly led to confusion of air traffic control of where they were,” Braman said. (...)

The FAA declined to comment on whether its controllers could not get a good fix on the Black Hawk’s location due to their own equipment issues, citing the ongoing investigation by the National Transportation Safety Board. (...)

FAA air traffic controllers at the airport aborted the landing of a Delta Air Lines Airbus A319 during the Black Hawk’s initial flight toward the Pentagon because they realized both aircraft would be nearing the Pentagon around the same time, Braman said.

Because of the 20-second loss of contact, the Pentagon’s tower did not clear the Black Hawk to land, so the helicopter circled the Pentagon a second time. That’s when air traffic controllers at the airport decided to abort the landing of a second jet, a Republic Airways Embraer E170, because they did not have a confident fix on the Black Hawk’s location, Braman said.