(KDCA) Kite reportedly makes contact with United flight

A Kite in the Approach Path at Reagan National

On March 29, 2025, United Airlines Flight 654 was approaching Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport from Houston when the crew reported a kite in the approach area. The Boeing 737 landed safely, but the reported contact highlighted how a small recreational object can become a serious hazard in an airport's final approach environment.

Air traffic control audio captured warnings about kites near Gravelly Point, a park immediately adjacent to the Potomac and the approach path. Pilots reported seeing a kite at roughly 100 feet above the ground. Kite flying is prohibited at the location because aircraft operate at low altitude nearby.

United said the aircraft landed safely, passengers deplaned normally and a post-flight inspection found no damage. Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority police responded to reports of kite flying and temporarily confiscated a kite. Authorities later returned it and said no charges were filed.

The event did not become an aircraft accident, but its location made the encounter significant. Final approach is one of the phases in which an airline aircraft has limited altitude and energy margins. A kite has little mass compared with an aircraft, yet a collision with an engine, windshield or other sensitive area could have consequences.

The incident also occurred only two months after the fatal midair collision at Reagan National, placing additional attention on activity around the airport. In this case, the aircraft landed normally, but the episode showed why the protected environment around a major airport extends beyond the pavement itself.

Accident Facts

Sources

• Video source (ATC/audio reconstruction)
• CBS News, 29 March 2025.
• CNN transcript, 30 March 2025.
• Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority statements reported by CBS/WTOP.
• Video/ATC recording