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Federal investigators have actually raised concerns of a capacity for another fatal plane crash at Reagan National Airport, after a midair collision previously this year eliminated 67.

The National Transportation Safety Board provided an upgrade on their investigation 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, eliminating everyone on board both airplanes.

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

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

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

When cops, medical or governmental transport helicopters should use the area 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 solution' for alternate routes for helicopters when two of the airport's runways remain in use.

Emergency units react after a passenger 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 accident

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

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

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

The NTSB likewise said 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 added: 'That information from October 2021 through December 2024, (the FAA) could have utilized that information at any time to identify that we have a pattern here and an issue here, and took a look at that route; that didn't take place, which is why we're taking action today. But regrettably, people lost lives, and liked ones are grieving.'

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

Duffy stated: 'I believe the concern is when this data comes in how did the FAA not understand. How did they not study the data to say "hey, this is a location, we are having near misses and if we do not alter our ways we are gon na lose lives".'

He included: 'That wasn't done, possibly there was a concentrate on something other than safety.'

Duffy would later on included 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 being in the Potomac River after Flight 5342 clashed with an Army Black Hawk helicopter on Wednesday night, killing 67 people

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

The accident most likely occurred at an altitude simply under 300 feet, as the aircraft came down toward the chopper, which was above its 200-foot limitation for that location.

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

'We will continue to coordinate closely with PSA Airlines as it cooperates 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 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 using night vision goggles, Homendy said.

Investigators believe the team was using 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 country ´ s capital.

At the time of the crash, a single air traffic controller was concurrently keeping track of both the helicopter and plane traffic.

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

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

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

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

A supervisor apparently decided to combine those tasks before the set up cutoff time however, and allowed one air traffic controller to leave work early.

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

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

The circumstance appeared to have improved 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 absolutely nothing new, with well-known causes consisting of 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, 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 situation 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 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 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 seatbelts for a number of minutes till they tentatively began leaving.

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

Some 21 individuals were taken to the healthcare facility for treatment to small injuries, and Delta has offered everyone a no-strings $30,000 payout in payment.

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

Dramatic video revealed the Beechcraft A36 in flames in the parking lot of Brethren Village in Manheim Township. Five people were hurried to hospital.

Medics, ambulances, and emergency situation lorries rushed to the scene in Lancaster County as flames swallowed up the plane and close-by lorries.

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

American Airlines