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

The National Transportation Safety Board provided 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 clashed in midair over the Potomac River, killing everybody on board both aircrafts.

As part of an initial report launched on Tuesday, private investigators raised concerns of more crashes including helicopters at the airport.

NTSB chair Jennifer Homendy said: 'We remain worried about the considerable capacity for future mid-air collision at DCA.'

Her issues revolve around Transport Secretary Sean Duffy transferring to limit helicopter traffic around the location, but that is set to cease at the end of the month.

When authorities, medical or governmental transportation helicopters need to use the area civilian aircrafts are stopped from remaining in the very same area.

Homendy said the NTSB is now suggesting that the FAA discover a 'long-term solution' for alternate routes for helicopters when two of the airport's runways remain in use.

Emergency systems 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 with press reporters about the 29 January mid-air accident

It was also revealed on Tuesday that there was cautioning check in the lead up to the fatal 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 events' of aircrafts getting notifies about helicopters being in close proximity in between October 2021 and December 2024.

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

Homendy included: 'That data from October 2021 through December 2024, (the FAA) might have used that details at any time to figure out that we have a trend here and an issue here, and looked at that path; that didn't happen, which is why we're acting today. But sadly, people lost lives, and enjoyed 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 comes in how did the FAA not understand. How did they not study the information to state "hello, this is a hot area, we are having near misses out on and if we do not change our methods we are gon na lose lives".'

He included: 'That wasn't done, perhaps there was a concentrate on something besides safety.'

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 sitting in the Potomac River after Flight 5342 clashed with an Army Black Hawk helicopter on Wednesday night, killing 67 individuals

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

The collision most likely occurred at an altitude simply under 300 feet, as the airplane descended toward the chopper, which was above its 200-foot limit for that area.

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

'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 interaction, when the tower stated the jet was turning toward a various runway, Homendy said last month.

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

Investigators believe the team was wearing night vision goggles 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 simultaneously keeping track of both the helicopter and aircraft traffic.

Those tasks are generally dealt with between 2 people from 10am till 9:30 pm, according to an early FAA report seen by The New york city Times.

Those tasks are usually managed between 2 people from 10am till 9:30 pm, according to the report.

Surveillance video footage taken from inside the airport caught the minute the two clashed in midair

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

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

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

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

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

The situation appeared to have enhanced considering that then, as a source informed CNN the Reagan National control tower was 85 percent with 24 of 28 positions filled.

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

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In order to fill the spaces, controllers are often asked to work 10-hour days, six 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 stated: 'This NTSB action is extremely unusual. The release of an emergency situation suggestion requesting the FAA take immediate action, before the conclusion of the NTSB investigation is unusual.'

The 2 airplane had actually clashed in a substantial fireball that was noticeable on dashcams of vehicles 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 aircraft crashed-landed upside down in chaotic scenes at Toronto Pearson International Airport in Canada.

Miraculously, everybody on board endured after being suspended upside-down by their seatbelts for a number of minutes up until they tentatively started evacuating.

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

Some 21 individuals were taken to the health center for treatment to minor injuries, and Delta has actually offered each person a no-strings $30,000 payout in compensation.

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

Dramatic video revealed the Beechcraft A36TC appear in flames in the parking lot of Brethren Village in Manheim Township. Five people were hurried to healthcare facility.

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

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

American Airlines