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

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

As part of an initial report launched on Tuesday, detectives raised concerns of more collisions including helicopters at the airport.

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

Her issues focus on Transport Secretary Sean Duffy relocating 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 should use the space civilian airplanes are stopped from remaining in the same location.

Homendy said the NTSB is now suggesting that the FAA find a 'irreversible solution' for detours for helicopters when two of the airport's runways remain in usage.

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 with reporters about the 29 January mid-air crash

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

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

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

The NTSB likewise said that there were 85 cases where 2 aircraft 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) could have used that info at any time to determine that we have a pattern here and an issue here, and took a look at that path; that didn't happen, which is why we're taking action today. But sadly, individuals lost lives, and loved ones are grieving.'

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

Duffy stated: 'I think the concern is when this data comes in how did the FAA not know. How did they not study the data to say "hi, this is a hot area, we are having near misses and if we don't change our methods we are gon na lose lives".'

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

Duffy would later on added when questioned by a 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 hit an Army Black Hawk helicopter on Wednesday night, killing 67 people

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Investigators believe that the helicopter associated with the crash may have had incorrect altitude readings in the minutes before the crash.

The accident likely happened at an elevation simply under 300 feet, as the plane descended towards the chopper, which was above its 200-foot limitation for that place.

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 examination.

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

The helicopter pilots might have also missed part of another communication, 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 using night vision goggles, Homendy stated.

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

The Army has stated 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 concurrently keeping track of both the helicopter and plane traffic.

Those tasks are typically managed between two people from 10am until 9:30 pm, according to an early FAA report seen by The New york city Times.

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

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

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

After 9:30 pm the responsibilities are typically combined and delegated one person as the airport sees less traffic later in the night.

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

The FAA report stated 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 accredited controllers as of 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 since then, 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 service towers is nothing new, with well-known causes including high turnover and budget plan cuts.

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In order to fill the spaces, controllers are frequently 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 deemed the findings as 'uncommon'.

She stated: 'This NTSB action is highly uncommon. The release of an emergency situation suggestion requesting the FAA take instant action, before the completion of the NTSB investigation is uncommon.'

The 2 aircraft had collided in a big fireball that showed up on dashcams of automobiles driving on highways that snake around the airport, before plunging into the river.

Less than a month later on, on February 17, a Delta passenger 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 until they tentatively started evacuating.

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

Some 21 people were taken to the medical facility for treatment to small injuries, and Delta has provided everyone a no-strings $30,000 payout in compensation.

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

Dramatic video showed the Beechcraft A36TC emerge in flames in the parking lot of Brethren Village in Manheim Township. Five people were rushed to hospital.

Medics, ambulances, and emergency situation automobiles hurried to the scene in Lancaster County as flames swallowed up the airplane and close-by vehicles.

The airplane took off as arranged on Sunday afternoon, but rapidly asked for to land back on the tarmac since its door had opened.

American Airlines