New FAA rule targets risky 'see and avoid' flight practice

A new rule requires air traffic controllers to track helicopters using radar, rather than relying on visual separation, near major airports.

The Federal Aviation Administration announced a new rule that will require air traffic controllers to use radar to separate airplane and helicopter traffic near major airport arrival and departure tracks.

Until now, controllers have largely relied on pilots to use visual separation.

“Today, we are proactively mitigating risks before they affect the traveling public,” FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford said in a statement. “Following the mid-air collision near Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA), we looked at similar operations across the national airspace. We identified an overreliance on pilot ‘see and avoid’ operations that contribute to safety events involving helicopters and airplanes.”

Under the new regulations, controllers will have to use radar to keep aircraft separated at a designated vertical or lateral distance, but they will have the authority to issue other clearances on a case-by-case basis in emergencies.

The new rule comes as regulators continue to grapple with the fallout from the January 2025 collision between an Army Black Hawk helicopter and an American Airlines regional jet over the Potomac River.