Washington, D.C. – Washington, D.C. — Pentagon briefly lost communication with the U.S. Army helicopter on Wednesday, which triggered an alert for security that caused commercial flights to Reagan National Airport (DCA) to suspend landings for more than 15 minutes as per U.S. defense and aviation officials.
Communication Breakdown Raises Airspace Concerns
The incident happened at around 3.10 p.m. ET, and air traffic controllers spotted an non-responsive Army UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter in the airspace that is extremely restricted above Washington, D.C. Efforts to get the crew’s attention did not succeed, prompting the need for a NORAD intervention and immediate interruption of flights inbound.
External Sources: CBS News – Pentagon loses contact with Army helicopter close to DC
A top defense official has verified that the Pentagon eventually returned communication with the aircraft that later was safely landed in Davison Army Airfield in Virginia. There were no reported injuries.
Flights Diverted, Security Protocols Activated
As per the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), at least six commercial jets bound for home were restricted to pattern of holding or diverted in the blackout of communication. The abrupt breach of airspace was a trigger for conventional defense measures but the fighter aircrafts weren’t not used.
Military officials have stated that an internal investigation is in progress to identify the reason for the loss of communications. The preliminary findings suggest that the possibility that a transponder problem could be the cause of the intermittent blackout.
External source: Defense One – Communication glitch that grounded D.C. flights
No Threat Found, But Alarms Raised
Although the officials claimed they believed that the aircraft did not pose a threat to the security of the city The incident has highlighted the dangers of flying in the capital city of the United States especially due to the restrictions on airspace put in place following the 9/11 attacks.
A full report is scheduled to be delivered for review by the U.S. Department of Defense and Homeland Security within the next week.
