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


The National Transportation Safety Board offered 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 everyone on board both airplanes.


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


NTSB chair Jennifer Homendy said: 'We stay concerned about the substantial capacity for future mid-air collision at DCA.'


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


When authorities, medical or governmental transportation helicopters need to utilize the space civilian aircrafts are stopped from remaining in the exact same location.


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


Emergency units react after a traveler 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 collision


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


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


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


The NTSB also said 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 added: 'That information from October 2021 through December 2024, (the FAA) might have used that information at any time to determine that we have a pattern here and a problem here, and looked at that route; that didn't take place, 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 stated: 'I believe the concern is when this information comes in how did the FAA not know. How did they not study the information to say "hello, this is a location, 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, maybe there was a focus on something aside from security.'


Duffy would later included 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 believe that the helicopter associated with the crash might have had unreliable elevation readings in the minutes before the crash.


The collision most likely occurred at an altitude simply under 300 feet, as the airplane descended towards 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 immediate safety 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 might have also missed part of another interaction, when the tower stated 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 an annual test and a test on utilizing night vision safety glasses, Homendy said.


Investigators believe the team was wearing night vision goggles throughout the flight.


The Army has stated the Black Hawk crew was highly experienced, and accustomed to the crowded skies around the nation _ s capital.


At the time of the accident, a single air traffic controller was at the same time keeping track of both the helicopter and plane traffic.


Those jobs are typically dealt with in between 2 individuals from 10am up until 9:30 pm, according to an early FAA report seen by The New York Times.


Those tasks are normally managed between 2 individuals from 10am up until 9:30 pm, according to the report.


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


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


After 9:30 pm the duties are typically integrated and delegated a single person as the airport sees less traffic later on in the night.


A manager supposedly 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 setup 'was not regular for the time of day and volume of traffic'.


Reagan National has been understaffed for several years, with simply 19 totally licensed controllers as of September 2023 - well listed below the target of 30 - according to the most current Air Traffic Controller Workforce Plan submitted to Congress.


The scenario appeared to have actually enhanced 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 traffic control towers is nothing brand-new, with well-known causes consisting of high turnover and budget 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, 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 suggestion asking for the FAA take instant action, before the completion of the NTSB examination is uncommon.'


The two aircraft had actually clashed in a huge 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, on February 17, a Delta traveler aircraft crashed-landed upside down in disorderly scenes at Toronto Pearson International Airport in Canada.


Miraculously, everybody on board survived after being suspended upside-down by their seat belts for numerous minutes till they tentatively began evacuating.


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


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


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


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


Medics, ambulances, and emergency situation automobiles hurried to the scene in Lancaster County as flames swallowed up the aircraft and neighboring automobiles.


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


American Airlines