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

The National Transportation Safety Board offered an update on their examination into the reason for the disaster which happened 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 released on Tuesday, detectives raised concerns of more crashes including helicopters at the airport.

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

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

When police, medical or presidential transportation helicopters must use the space civilian planes are stopped from remaining in the very same area.

Homendy said the NTSB is now recommending that the FAA discover a 'irreversible option' for alternate routes for helicopters when 2 of the airport's runways remain in usage.

Emergency systems respond after a traveler airplane collided 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 talks to press reporters about the 29 January mid-air crash

It was likewise exposed on Tuesday that there was warning check in the lead up to the deadly disaster.

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

It was uncovered that 15,214 'near-miss events' of aircrafts getting alerts about helicopters remaining in close distance between October 2021 and December 2024.

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

Homendy included: 'That information from October 2021 through December 2024, (the FAA) might have used that info any time to determine that we have a trend here and a problem here, and took a look at that path; that didn't take place, which is why we're taking action today. But regrettably, people lost lives, and loved ones are grieving.'

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

Duffy stated: 'I think the question is when this information can be found in how did the FAA not understand. How did they not study the information to say "hi, this is a location, we are having near misses and if we don't alter our ways we are gon na lose lives".'

He included: 'That wasn't done, maybe there was a concentrate on something besides 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 clashed 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 inaccurate elevation readings in the minutes before the crash.

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

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

'We will continue to collaborate closely with PSA Airlines as it cooperates as an investigative celebration member.'

The helicopter pilots may have also missed part of another interaction, when the tower stated the jet was turning towards a various runway, Homendy stated 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 goggles, Homendy said.

Investigators believe the crew was wearing night vision goggles 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 monitoring both the helicopter and .

Those jobs are generally managed in between 2 individuals from 10am till 9:30 pm, according to an early FAA report seen by The New York Times.

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

Surveillance footage drawn from inside the airport recorded the moment the two clashed in midair

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

After 9:30 pm the responsibilities are generally integrated and delegated someone as the airport sees less traffic later on in the night.

A supervisor reportedly chose to combine those duties before the scheduled cutoff time nevertheless, and enabled one air traffic controller to leave work early.

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

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

The scenario appeared to have improved ever since, 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 new, with well-known causes consisting of high turnover and budget cuts.

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In order to fill the gaps, 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 stated: 'This NTSB action is highly unusual. The release of an emergency situation suggestion asking for the FAA take instant action, before the conclusion of the NTSB examination is rare.'

The two airplane had actually clashed in a big fireball that was noticeable on dashcams of cars driving on highways that snake around the airport, before plunging into the river.

Less than a month later, on February 17, a Delta traveler aircraft 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 seat belts for a number of minutes up until they tentatively began leaving.

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

Some 21 people were required to the health center for treatment to minor injuries, and Delta has actually provided each individual a no-strings $30,000 payment in payment.

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

Dramatic footage revealed the Beechcraft A36TC appear in flames in the parking lot of Brethren Village in Manheim Township. Five people were rushed to medical facility.

Medics, ambulances, and emergency cars hurried to the scene in Lancaster County as flames engulfed the plane and neighboring vehicles.

The aircraft 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