By David Shepardson
WASHINGTON, March 26 (Reuters) – The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration said on Thursday it was investigating a close call between a United Airlines jet and an Army Black Hawk helicopter in California.
The FAA said the United Boeing 737-800 jet on Tuesday at 8:40 p.m. was on final approach to John Wayne Airport in Orange County, California, and a Black Hawk crossed in front of the plane. Flightradar24, a flight tracking site, said the aircraft were 525 feet apart vertically.
The FAA is also investigating whether the incident violated its new policy that bars visual separation for helicopters near major airports.
United said Flight 589, which had departed from San Francisco, had been advised by air traffic control to watch for a military helicopter flying near the airport. They saw the helicopter, and also received a cockpit traffic alert, and pilots responded by leveling the aircraft and then landed safely.
The plane had 162 passengers and six crew.
Two U.S. House committees approved legislation on Thursday to address concerns about separation between helicopters and airplanes and other issues.
The legislation and FAA rules follow the January 2025 mid-air collision between an American Airlines regional jet and Army Black Hawk helicopter that killed 67 people near Reagan Washington National Airport.
The FAA cited two recent incidents in issuing the new rules including a near miss involving an American Airlines flight and police helicopter near the San Antonio airport.
The helicopter and aircraft were on converging courses when the helicopter made a left turn to avoid the American Airlines flight, the FAA said.
On March 2, a Beechcraft 99 was cleared to land at Burbank Airport in southern California as a helicopter was flying through the final approach path. The aircraft were on converging courses when the helicopter turned to avoid the Beechcraft.
“Where helicopters cross airport arrival or departure paths, air traffic controllers will use radar to keep the aircraft specific lateral or vertical distances apart,” the FAA said.
After the 2025 collision, the FAA restricted helicopter traffic around Reagan Washington National Airport and has imposed restrictions at other airports including Baltimore, Las Vegas and Washington Dulles.
(Reporting by David Shepardson; Editing by Mark Porter and David Gregorio)
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