Flight Crew Air Transport Pilot (ATP)
Situational Awareness
ATC Issue All Types; Conflict Airborne Conflict; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Published Material / Policy
Air Traffic Control Issued New Clearance; Flight Crew FLC complied w / Automation / Advisory; Flight Crew Executed Go Around / Missed Approach
Human Factors
We were cleared to circle to and land on runway 33. ATC also added that there was a low level helicopter and that the helicopter had us in sight. At the Wilson bridge we turned to the northeast to set ourselves up for a landing on runway 33. We continued normally and started our turn to final.when I saw an opposite direction helicopter very close to our altitude; but slightly below us and climbing. I was about to initiate the go around regardless of the TCAS when we got the RA. As we started the go around I saw the helicopter make an aggressive descent. We were given a turn to the east and a climb to 2;000 feet which we complied with. After that; we cleaned up the plane; setup for another approach; and landed on runway 1 without incident. Once we cleared the runway; ground control asked me if I wanted to call the DCA tower supervisor for an explanation of what happened. I gladly accepted. The tower supervisor I spoke with told me a few things that explained what may have happened. Number one; he said that the helicopters operating in that area should NEVER be above 200 feet. According to him; the helicopter was at 800 feet; clearly not where he was supposed to be. He also explained that ATC may have taken their eyes off the helicopter for a second because they would never expect those helicopters to do something that egregious. That seems plausible given the fact that I've never seen a helicopter in that area at that altitude. He suggested that it was most probably a deviation on the part of the Pilot of the helicopter; and a loss of aircraft separation that was also the fault of the helicopter pilot. Helicopter pilots in and around DCA should adhere to ATC instructions.
ERJ-175 Captain reported an airborne conflict with a helicopter on approach to DCA.