FAA Implements New Radar Guidelines for Helicopter Safety

Wed Mar 18 2026 19:09:29 GMT+0000 (Coordinated Universal Time)

In response to a fatal helicopter crash, the FAA announces that air traffic controllers will now use radar to ensure safe distances between helicopters and airplanes at over 150 major airports across the US.

Following a tragic midair collision last year that resulted in 67 deaths, the FAA has updated its safety protocols for helicopter operations near busy airports. The new rules require air traffic controllers to utilize radar rather than relying solely on pilots' visual checks. This action comes after a series of near-miss incidents, emphasizing the importance of increased safety measures in aviation.

Air traffic controllers will use radar, not just visual checks, to ensure that helicopters maintain a safe distance from arriving and departing airplanes in the wake of last year’s fatal midair collision near Washington, D.C., federal officials announced Wednesday.

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) stated that recent near-misses indicate that prior protocols requiring visual separation between helicopters and airplanes have proven insufficient for safety at busy airports.

According to the new guidelines, air traffic controllers are mandated to utilize radar to maintain specific lateral or vertical distances between helicopters and airplanes. This requirement is being applied at more than 150 of the busiest airports in the nation, expanding an existing restriction already in effect at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport.

“Today, we are proactively mitigating risks before they affect the traveling public,” said FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford. “Following the mid-air collision near Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA), we evaluated similar operations nationwide and identified an overreliance on the pilot 'see and avoid' practices, which have contributed to safety incidents involving helicopters and airplanes.”

Officials referenced an incident from February 27, where a police helicopter narrowly avoided an American Airlines flight landing at San Antonio International Airport, and another close encounter on March 2 involving a helicopter and a small aircraft at California’s Hollywood Burbank Airport.

The January 2025 collision between an American Airlines jet and an Army Black Hawk helicopter claimed 67 lives, marking the deadliest plane crash on U.S. soil since 2001. Investigations pointed to an overdependence on visual checks from controllers as a contributing factor to this disaster.

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