U.S. Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR) officials confirmed that a test V-22 Osprey flew an unapproved route around Washington DC, but said the pilots have not been grounded. The aircraft - Osprey #21 - apparently strayed from its flight test route December 17. ‘The pilots made the diversion during a programmed test sortie from Pax River,’ says Ward Carroll, the test center’s spokesman.
Carroll says the pilots were cautioned ‘for extremely poor headwork’ by officials after the flight, but the flight itself was within NAVAIR guidelines. He said possible complications caused by the Osprey flying into Washington’s temporary flight restriction (TFR) area - imposed as the result of 9/11- had not been an issue. ‘The FAA has not been involved at all.’
But he could not explain how the aircraft was able to divert from an IFR flight plan to make a circular tour of the Pentagon. Such maneuvers are strictly banned under the terms of the TFR Carroll said no such flight route would be used again by an Osprey test crew.
The flight caused raised eyebrows. NAVAIR is currently processing a ‘Congressional inquiry’ from one Congressman who observed the aircraft. The Osprey is a ‘hot button’ issue in Washington DC following its recent record of accidents. It is currently under intense scrutiny- politically and operationally - during testing of alleged performance flaws.
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[b]In a separate incident over Washington >>>>>>
Two F-15s were dispatched to investigate a television station's helicopter as it flew into controlled airspace, the apparent result of a communications failure between the pilot and the federal agencies that patrol the skies.
The WRC-TV (Channel 4) helicopter departed an airfield near Baltimore at about 10:15 a.m. The helicopter, which the station has dubbed Chopper 4 was sent up with a photographer to shoot live video of a traffic backup on Interstate 270.
"The F-15s were sent up to eyeball it. They determined it represented no threat," said Army Maj. Barry Venable, spokesman for the North American Aerospace Defense Command, a joint United States-Canadian military agency that patrols the skies around Washington.
The WRC crew was able to continue its work, station spokeswoman Angela Owens said.
The Federal Aviation Administration will investigate the incident, spokesman Greg Martin said.
Ms. Owens said there was a communications failure, but she did not know if it was human or mechanical.
News and traffic helicopters have been restricted from flying within a 15-mile radius of the Washington Monument since the September 11 terrorist attacks. This month, the FAA extended the area an additional 30 miles when federal authorities issued a Code Orange terrorism alert.