KDCA 5/17/25 Go-Arounds for wind, traffic, medevac, hawk and off-course approach

[baldiedc]

Saturday was noticeably busy for go-arounds at DCA due to winds and use of Rwy 19 for most of the day, thought a few of them were interesting in particular ENVY9869 approach issue, so here's a thread of highlights of a day at DCA (in addition to the RPA5801 double go-around posted earlier for for wind and separation from delayed departure)...

Below are all edited for time and content and not realtime etc; combination of TWR, HELI, OJAAY, DCA Final, Depature and KRANT feeds.

[baldiedc]

~1920Z ENVY9869 switches to Tower but significantly off-course for River Visual 19 by ~1nm parallel to the river (highly unusual).  Tower initially clears them to land, later advises they are headed towards Prohibited airspace (P56B) [Tower clip from that point on is in full and realtime], gives them headings to avoid P56B by ~1nm back to the approach course for Rwy 19, asks if field in sight, then cancels approach clearance and sends them back to Final; landed on 2nd attempt ~1934Z.

[baldiedc]

~1638Z AAL2205 approach clearance canceled for Medevac landing Georgetown...

[baldiedc]

~1830Z Fairfax County PD c/s Fairfax-2 requests clearance to operate south of DCA over the GW Parkway.  JBU1554 cleared for takeoff with traffic 2.5mi out (RPA4463).  RPA4463 has an unstable approach and calls for go-around, instructed to climb out on approach course and given a left turn to 130 to keep clear of helicopter to the West of the field and JBU1554 ahead of them going South.  FFX2 proceeds East to the South of DCA behind departing JBU1554.  Departures are briefly stopped while FFX2 positions but remains far enough South during their operation for departures to proceed.

[baldiedc]

And a compilation of the rest with reason if stated

UAL752 0630Z - unstable
AAL1542 1030Z
JIA5226 1424Z - delayed 2nd approach to resolve equipment issue - not sure if that was the issue with the 1st approach or happened later
JIA5200 1520Z - separation from runway traffic (slow departure roll)
DAL786 1900Z - "not going to make this"
AAL978Q 1944Z - unstable
SWA247 2141Z - too high
SWA321 2231Z - too low

and finally..
RPA5734 1117Z 5/18/25 (Sunday AM) - a hawk