FAA Tightens Air Tour Safety Rules in Las Vegas

Prompted by the deadly midair collision between a passenger jet and an Army helicopter in Washington, DC, in January, the FAA issued a review of helicopter safety around the biggest US airports, including those in Las Vegas.

FAA Finds Safety Concerns in Las Vegas Helicopter Tours

According to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), the potential for a collision between air tour helicopters and planes at Harry Reid International Airport in Las Vegas prompted a change in flying rules. FAA Acting Administrator Chris Rocheleau stated that Las Vegas quickly emerged as a concern after the agency reviewed the data.

He noted that existing agreements with tour helicopter operators lacked clear definitions for vertical and lateral separation when helicopters approached the airport. Additionally, tower air traffic controllers were not providing traffic advisories between returning helicopters and airplanes.

However, the latest sightseeing helicopter crash in New York into the Hudson River that killed six people on April 10 has prompted the FAA to act again. The agency announced that it is forming a rulemaking committee to create recommendations to enhance the safety of commercial air tours.

What Does the FAA Plan to Do?

The midair collision in January near Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport marked the deadliest aviation incident in the US since 2001. In the months that followed, a string of crashes and close calls has heightened concerns about air travel, despite its overall strong safety record. The April 10 crash in New York was one of those incidents that sparked heated debate regarding flight safety.

Helicopters have drawn particular attention, but according to Rocheleau, the underlying safety challenges are rooted in operational and maintenance issues. He noted that the leading causes of helicopter accidents are loss of control and collisions with objects during low-altitude flights.

The FAA stated that its safety data review has broadened to include not just helicopters, but also airports that handle a diverse range of aircraft and those located in close proximity to one another.

One area of concern is the close distance, less than 10 miles, between Hollywood Burbank Airport and Van Nuys Airport in the Los Angeles region. Both airports accommodate a wide variety of aircraft and have arrival and departure routes that are situated near each other. The FAA has already put in place various safety rules that have diminished the number of plane collision alerts by 30%.

Jeff Guzzetti, a former accident investigator for both the National Transportation Safety Board and the FAA, said the rapid decline in collision alerts for planes suggests that “a genuine hazard was present before the FAA began its review.” He also explained it was logical for the FAA to focus on the Las Vegas airport first, considering its high volume of both helicopter and commercial aircraft traffic.