Federal investigators have raised issues of a potential for another deadly aircraft crash at Reagan National Airport, after a midair accident previously this year killed 67.

The National Transportation Safety Board gave an upgrade on their examination into the reason for the catastrophe which took place on January 29 in Washington.

An American Airlines jetliner and a Black Hawk military helicopter clashed in midair over the Potomac River, killing everybody on board both airplanes.

As part of an initial report released on Tuesday, detectives raised concerns of more crashes involving helicopters at the airport.

NTSB chair Jennifer Homendy said: 'We stay worried about the substantial potential for future mid-air accident at DCA.'

Her issues revolve around Transport Secretary Sean Duffy relocating to restrict helicopter traffic around the location, however that is set to stop at the end of the month.

When police, medical or presidential transport helicopters need to use the space civilian airplanes are stopped from being in the same area.

Homendy said the NTSB is now recommending that the FAA discover a 'irreversible service' for detours for helicopters when 2 of the airport's runways are in usage.

Emergency units react after a guest airplane hit a helicopter in the Potomac River near Ronald Reagan Washington Airport on January 30, 2025 in Arlington, Virginia

Chairman of the National Transportation Safety Bureau (NTSB) Jennifer Homendy speaks with press reporters about the 29 January mid-air crash

It was likewise revealed on Tuesday that there was cautioning indications in the lead up to the lethal disaster.

Those probing the crash went through 944,179 operations in between October 2021 and December 2024.

It was discovered that 15,214 'near-miss occasions' of airplanes getting notifies about helicopters remaining in close distance between October 2021 and December 2024.

The NTSB likewise stated that there were 85 cases where 2 aircraft where laterally divided by less than 1,500 feet, and a vertical separation of less than 200 feet.

Homendy added: 'That information from October 2021 through December 2024, (the FAA) might have used that information whenever to figure out that we have a trend here and an issue here, and looked at that path; that didn't occur, which is why we're taking action today. But unfortunately, people lost lives, and liked ones are grieving.'

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy knocked these findings at a later interview on Tuesday.

Duffy said: 'I believe the question is when this information is available in how did the FAA not know. How did they not study the data to state "hey, this is a hot area, we are having near misses out on and if we do not alter our methods we are gon na lose lives".'

He included: 'That wasn't done, perhaps there was a concentrate on something aside from security.'

Duffy would later on added when questioned by a press reporter about the near misses out on that the data had 'p *** ed him off'.

Pictured: Parts of the wreckage seen being in the Potomac River after Flight 5342 collided with an Army Black Hawk helicopter on Wednesday night, eliminating 67 people

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Investigators believe that the helicopter associated with the crash might have had incorrect elevation readings in the minutes before the crash.

The collision most likely happened at an elevation just under 300 feet, as the aircraft came down towards the chopper, which was above its 200-foot limitation for that area.

On Tuesday American Airlines welcomed the report by the NTSB, saying: 'We're grateful for the National Transportation Safety Board's urgent security recommendations to restrict helicopter traffic near DCA and for its comprehensive examination.

'We will continue to collaborate carefully with PSA Airlines as it works together as an investigative party member.'

The helicopter pilots may have also missed out on part of another interaction, when the tower stated the jet was turning towards a different runway, Homendy said last month.

The helicopter was on a 'check' flight that night where the pilot was undergoing an annual test and a test on utilizing night vision goggles, Homendy stated.

Investigators believe the team was wearing night vision safety glasses throughout the flight.

The Army has said the Black Hawk team was highly experienced, and accustomed to the congested skies around the country ´ s capital.

At the time of the crash, a single air traffic controller was concurrently keeping track of both the helicopter and airplane traffic.

Those jobs are typically managed between two individuals from 10am up until 9:30 pm, according to an early FAA report seen by The New york city Times.

Those jobs are usually managed between two people from 10am up until 9:30 pm, according to the report.

Surveillance video drawn from inside the airport caught the minute the 2 collided in midair

At the time of the collision, a single air traffic controller was all at once keeping an eye on both the helicopter and airplane traffic. Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport is seen here

After 9:30 pm the tasks are generally combined and left to someone as the airport sees less traffic later on in the night.

A supervisor reportedly decided to combine those duties before the arranged cutoff time however, and enabled one air traffic controller to leave work early.

The FAA report stated that staffing setup 'was not normal for the time of day and volume of traffic'.

Reagan National has been understaffed for many years, with just 19 completely accredited controllers as of September 2023 - well listed below the target of 30 - according to the most current Air Traffic Controller Workforce Plan sent to Congress.

The circumstance appeared to have improved since then, as a source told CNN the Reagan National control tower was 85 percent staffed with 24 of 28 positions filled.

Chronic understaffing at air traffic control service towers is absolutely nothing new, with popular causes including high turnover and spending plan cuts.

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In order to fill the gaps, controllers are often asked to work 10-hour days, 6 days a week.

After the release of the report, former Inspector General of the US Department of Transportation Mary Schiavo considered the findings as 'unusual'.

She said: 'This NTSB action is extremely uncommon. The release of an emergency recommendation asking for the FAA take instant action, before the conclusion of the NTSB examination is unusual.'

The 2 aircraft had collided in a big fireball that was visible on dashcams of automobiles driving on highways that snake around the airport, before plunging into the river.

Less than a month later on, on February 17, a Delta passenger airplane crashed-landed upside down in disorderly scenes at Toronto Pearson International Airport in Canada.

Miraculously, everyone on board made it through after being suspended upside-down by their seat belts for several minutes up until they tentatively began leaving.

The plane had actually been heading to Toronto from Minneapolis - Saint Paul International Airport with 76 guests and 4 crew members on board.

Some 21 people were taken to the hospital for treatment to minor injuries, and Delta has actually used each individual a no-strings $30,000 payment in settlement.

And the plane carnage is ongoing - on Sunday, yet another jet crash-landed, this time in a parking area of a rural Pennsylvania retirement home.

Dramatic video footage revealed the Beechcraft A36 in flames in the car park of Brethren Village in Manheim Township. Five individuals were rushed to healthcare facility.

Medics, ambulances, and emergency lorries rushed to the scene in Lancaster County as flames engulfed the aircraft and nearby cars.

The aircraft took off as scheduled on Sunday afternoon, however quickly asked for to land back on the tarmac because its door had actually opened.

American Airlines