I live near there. Most days I walk within sight of the Pentagon and DCA. I have full view from my Secret Lair of the helo traffic on the other main route from Fort Belvoir to the Pentagon, northeast along 395.
I suspect that this is either going to be one of those "we have been playing Russian Roulette for decades" investigations, or a normalization-of-deviance/boiled frog issue where a difficult situation has been made worse over time.
Factors in the boiled-frog situation would be more use of 15/33 as RJs have become more prevalent; not well regulated growth in helicopter traffic to the Pentagon; and a lot more lighting in the area.
DCA generally is a complex traffic situation with very regular go-arounds (the standard fly-out path is over my building so I hear them). I saw an RJ missing an approach to 15 just yesterday.
But one thing that I'm thinking now: there is no way in hell that a civilian heliport as busy as the Pentagon would be allowed 1,000 yards from a very busy final approach to an airport.
Last edited by LowObservable; 30th January 2025 at 09:03.