Federal private investigators have actually raised concerns of a capacity 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 occurred 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 aircrafts.

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

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

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

When police, medical or presidential transportation helicopters must use the space civilian aircrafts are stopped from being in the same location.

Homendy stated the NTSB is now suggesting that the FAA find a 'long-term option' for alternate paths for helicopters when 2 of the airport's runways remain in usage.

Emergency systems respond after a passenger airplane collided with a helicopter in the 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 crash

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

Those penetrating 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 informs about helicopters being 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 included: 'That information from October 2021 through December 2024, (the FAA) could have used that info any time to identify that we have a trend here and a problem here, and looked at that route; that didn't take place, which is why we're acting today. But unfortunately, 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 believe the concern is when this information comes in how did the FAA not know. How did they not study the data to say "hi, this is a location, we are having near misses and if we do not change our methods we are gon na lose lives".'

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

Duffy would later included when questioned by a 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, killing 67 people

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Investigators believe that the helicopter involved in the crash might have had inaccurate elevation readings in the minutes before the crash.

The accident likely occurred at an altitude simply under 300 feet, as the aircraft came down towards the chopper, which was above its 200-foot limitation 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 limit helicopter traffic near DCA and for its thorough examination.

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

The helicopter pilots may have also missed out on part of another interaction, when the tower stated the jet was turning toward a different 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 stated.

Investigators believe the team was wearing night vision safety glasses 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 all at once keeping track of both the helicopter and aircraft traffic.

Those tasks are normally dealt with in between two people from 10am till 9:30 pm, according to an early FAA report seen by The New York Times.

Those jobs are normally dealt with in between 2 individuals from 10am until 9:30 pm, according to the report.

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

At the time of the accident, a single air traffic controller was at the same time keeping an eye on both the helicopter and plane traffic. Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport is seen here

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

A manager supposedly decided to integrate those tasks before the scheduled cutoff time however, and permitted 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 been understaffed for many years, with just 19 totally licensed 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 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 service towers is nothing brand-new, with well-known causes including high turnover and spending plan cuts.

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In order to fill the gaps, controllers are frequently 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 extremely uncommon. The release of an emergency suggestion asking for the FAA take immediate action, before the conclusion of the NTSB investigation is rare.'

The two aircraft had actually collided in a huge fireball that showed up 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 plane crashed-landed upside down in chaotic scenes at Toronto Pearson International Airport in Canada.

Miraculously, everybody on board made it through after being suspended upside-down by their seatbelts for numerous minutes up until they tentatively started evacuating.

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

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

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

Dramatic video footage revealed the Beechcraft A36TC emerge in flames in the parking area of Brethren Village in Manheim Township. Five individuals were hurried to medical facility.

Medics, ambulances, and emergency vehicles rushed to the scene in Lancaster County as flames engulfed the plane and nearby automobiles.

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

American Airlines