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

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

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

As part of a preliminary report launched on Tuesday, private investigators raised issues of more crashes involving helicopters at the airport.

NTSB chair Jennifer Homendy stated: 'We stay worried about the significant potential for future mid-air collision at DCA.'

Her issues focus on Transport Secretary Sean Duffy transferring to limit helicopter traffic around the area, however that is set to stop at the end of the month.

When authorities, medical or governmental transport helicopters should utilize the space civilian airplanes are stopped from being in the exact same area.

Homendy said the NTSB is now recommending that the FAA discover a 'permanent solution' for detours for helicopters when two of the airport's runways are in use.

Emergency units respond after a passenger aircraft 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 to press reporters about the 29 January mid-air crash

It was also revealed on Tuesday that there was cautioning check in the lead up to the fatal catastrophe.

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

It was revealed that 15,214 'near-miss occasions' of aircrafts getting informs about helicopters remaining in close proximity in between October 2021 and December 2024.

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

Homendy added: 'That data from October 2021 through December 2024, (the FAA) might have used that information whenever to determine that we have a pattern here and a problem here, and looked at that route; that didn't occur, which is why we're doing something about it today. But regrettably, individuals lost lives, and enjoyed ones are grieving.'

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

Duffy said: 'I think the concern is when this data is available in how did the FAA not understand. How did they not study the information to state "hey, this is a location, we are having near misses out on and if we don't alter our ways we are gon na lose lives".'

He included: 'That wasn't done, maybe there was a focus on something aside from safety.'

Duffy would later included when questioned by a reporter about the near misses that the information had 'p *** ed him off'.

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

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Investigators believe that the helicopter included in the crash might have had inaccurate elevation readings in the minutes before the crash.

The crash most likely took place at an elevation simply under 300 feet, as the plane came down towards the chopper, which was above its 200-foot limitation for that place.

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

'We will continue to coordinate closely with PSA Airlines as it complies as an investigative party member.'

The helicopter pilots might have likewise missed part of another interaction, when the tower said the jet was turning toward a various runway, Homendy stated last month.

The helicopter was on a 'check' flight that night where the pilot was undergoing a yearly test and a test on utilizing night vision safety glasses, Homendy stated.

Investigators think the team was using night vision safety glasses throughout the flight.

The Army has said the Black Hawk crew was extremely experienced, and accustomed to the crowded skies around the nation ´ s capital.

At the time of the crash, a single air traffic controller was all at once keeping an eye on both the helicopter and airplane traffic.

Those tasks are normally dealt with in 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 handled between 2 individuals from 10am till 9:30 pm, according to the report.

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

At the time of the accident, a single air traffic controller was concurrently monitoring both the helicopter and airplane traffic. Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport is seen here

After 9:30 pm the duties are usually integrated and delegated one individual as the airport sees less traffic later on in the night.

A supervisor apparently chose to integrate those tasks before the arranged cutoff time nevertheless, and allowed one air traffic controller to leave work early.

The FAA report said that staffing configuration 'was not typical for the time of day and volume of traffic'.

Reagan National has been understaffed for many years, with just 19 fully licensed controllers since September 2023 - well below the target of 30 - according to the most current Air Traffic Controller Workforce Plan submitted to Congress.

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

Chronic understaffing at air service towers is nothing new, with well-known causes consisting of high turnover and spending plan cuts.

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

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

She said: 'This NTSB action is extremely uncommon. The release of an emergency situation suggestion requesting the FAA take immediate action, before the completion of the NTSB examination is uncommon.'

The 2 airplane had clashed in a huge fireball that showed up on dashcams of cars and trucks driving on highways that snake around the airport, before plunging into the river.

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

Miraculously, everyone on board survived after being suspended upside-down by their seatbelts for several minutes till they tentatively began evacuating.

The airplane had been heading to Toronto from Minneapolis - Saint Paul International Airport with 76 travelers and 4 team members on board.

Some 21 individuals were taken to the medical facility for treatment to small injuries, and Delta has actually used everyone a no-strings $30,000 payout in payment.

And the plane carnage is ongoing - on Sunday, yet another jet crash-landed, this time in a car park of a suburban Pennsylvania retirement community.

Dramatic video footage revealed the Beechcraft A36TC emerge in flames in the parking area of Brethren Village in Manheim Township. Five individuals were rushed to medical facility.

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

The plane took off as arranged on Sunday afternoon, however rapidly asked for to land back on the tarmac due to the fact that its door had opened.

American Airlines