Federal investigators have actually raised concerns of a potential for another fatal aircraft crash at Reagan National Airport, after a midair crash earlier this year eliminated 67.

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

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

As part of a preliminary report launched on Tuesday, detectives raised issues of more accidents including helicopters at the airport.

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

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

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

Homendy stated the NTSB is now recommending that the FAA find a 'long-term option' for alternate paths for helicopters when two of the airport's runways are in use.

Emergency units react after a traveler airplane clashed with 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 reporters about the 29 January mid-air crash

It was also exposed on Tuesday that there was cautioning indications in the lead up to the deadly disaster.

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

It was uncovered that 15,214 of planes getting signals about helicopters remaining in close distance between October 2021 and December 2024.

The NTSB likewise said that there were 85 cases where two aircraft where laterally split 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) could have used that info any time to determine that we have a pattern here and a problem here, and took a look at that route; that didn't take place, which is why we're taking action today. But sadly, individuals lost lives, and liked ones are grieving.'

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

Duffy said: 'I think the question is when this information is available in how did the FAA not know. How did they not study the data to say "hi, this is a location, we are having near misses and if we don't change our ways we are gon na lose lives".'

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

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

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

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

The crash most likely took place at an altitude just under 300 feet, as the aircraft descended toward the chopper, which was above its 200-foot limitation for that place.

On Tuesday American Airlines welcomed the report by the NTSB, stating: 'We're grateful for the National Transportation Safety Board's immediate security suggestions to restrict helicopter traffic near DCA and for its extensive investigation.

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

The helicopter pilots might have also missed out on part of another communication, 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 going through an annual test and a test on utilizing night vision safety glasses, Homendy stated.

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

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

At the time of the collision, a single air traffic controller was all at once monitoring both the helicopter and aircraft traffic.

Those jobs are normally handled between two individuals from 10am until 9:30 pm, according to an early FAA report seen by The New York Times.

Those tasks are normally handled between two individuals from 10am until 9:30 pm, according to the report.

Surveillance footage taken from inside the airport caught the minute the 2 collided in midair

At the time of the accident, a single air traffic controller was all at once keeping track of both the helicopter and plane traffic. Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport is seen here

After 9:30 pm the responsibilities are normally combined and left to a single person as the airport sees less traffic later on in the night.

A manager apparently decided to combine those responsibilities before the set up cutoff time nevertheless, and enabled one air traffic controller to leave work early.

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

Reagan National has actually been understaffed for numerous years, with simply 19 completely certified controllers since September 2023 - well listed below the target of 30 - according to the most current Air Traffic Controller Workforce Plan sent to Congress.

The scenario appeared to have actually improved because 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 towers is absolutely nothing brand-new, with widely known causes including high turnover and budget plan cuts.

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In order to fill the spaces, controllers are often 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 unusual. The release of an emergency recommendation requesting the FAA take immediate action, before the completion of the NTSB investigation is uncommon.'

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

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

Miraculously, everybody on board endured after being suspended upside-down by their seat belts for numerous minutes until they tentatively started leaving.

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

Some 21 people were taken to the medical facility for treatment to small injuries, and Delta has actually offered each individual a no-strings $30,000 payout in settlement.

And the airplane carnage is continuous - on Sunday, yet another jet crash-landed, this time in a parking lot of a rural Pennsylvania retirement community.

Dramatic footage showed the Beechcraft A36TC erupt in flames in the parking area of Brethren Village in Manheim Township. Five people were hurried to health center.

Medics, ambulances, and emergency situation lorries hurried to the scene in Lancaster County as flames engulfed the aircraft and close-by cars.

The airplane took off as arranged on Sunday afternoon, however rapidly requested to land back on the tarmac because its door had actually opened.

American Airlines