FAA overhauls safety rules for pilots after close calls

The US Federal Aviation Administration is suspending the practice of pilots relying on their sight to maintain safe distances between helicopters and planes in areas where they’re likely to cross paths, the latest safety measure imposed since last year’s deadly midair collision near Washington. 

In areas where helicopters often cross paths with arriving and departing planes, air traffic controllers must use radar to keep aircraft safely separated, according to a March 18 announcement by US Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy and FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford.

The US National Transportation Safety Board pointed to controllers’ overreliance on so-called “visual separation” – where pilots are granted authority to maintain a safe distance from other aircraft using their sight – as a key factor that led to the January 2025 collision between an American Airlines Group regional jet and a US Army helicopter.

The military aircraft was approved for this technique on the night of the tragedy, which killed 67 people.

The new restriction applies to Class B and Class C airspace, and Terminal Radar Service Areas. 

“Today, we are proactively mitigating risks before they affect the traveling public,” Mr Bedford said in the news release. 

The FAA highlighted recent safety incidents involving planes and helicopters. In late February, an American Airlines plane was cleared for landing at San Antonio International Airport while a police helicopter was flying in its approach path. The chopper had to swerve left.

In March, a similar event occurred between a Beechcraft 99 aircraft landing at Hollywood Burbank Airport in California and a helicopter. BLOOMBERG