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Federal detectives have raised issues of a capacity for another lethal airplane crash at Reagan National Airport, after a midair accident previously this year eliminated 67.

The National Transportation Safety Board provided an upgrade on their investigation into the cause of the catastrophe which took place 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 released on Tuesday, private investigators raised concerns of more crashes including helicopters at the airport.

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

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

When cops, medical or governmental transportation helicopters need to use the space civilian aircrafts are stopped from being in the same area.

Homendy said the NTSB is now recommending that the FAA discover a 'long-term service' for alternate paths for helicopters when two of the airport's runways are in use.

Emergency units respond after a guest aircraft clashed with a 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 likewise revealed on Tuesday that there was warning signs in the lead up to the deadly disaster.

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

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

The NTSB likewise stated 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) might have used that information whenever to figure out that we have a trend here and an issue here, and looked at that route; that didn't happen, which is why we're taking action today. But sadly, people lost lives, and loved ones are grieving.'

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

Duffy said: 'I think the concern is when this information can be found in how did the FAA not know. How did they not study the data to state "hey, this is a location, we are having near misses out on and if we do not alter our ways we are gon na lose lives".'

He added: 'That wasn't done, perhaps there was a focus on something other than security.'

Duffy would later on included when questioned by a reporter about the near misses out on 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 individuals

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Investigators believe that the helicopter involved in the crash may have had inaccurate altitude readings in the minutes before the crash.

The crash likely happened at an altitude simply under 300 feet, as the aircraft descended toward the chopper, which was above its 200-foot limitation for that area.

On Tuesday American Airlines welcomed the report by the NTSB, saying: 'We're grateful for the National Transportation Safety Board's urgent safety suggestions to restrict helicopter traffic near DCA and for its extensive 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 part of another interaction, 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 going through an annual test and a test on using night vision goggles, Homendy said.

Investigators believe the crew was wearing night vision goggles 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 all at once keeping track of both the helicopter and airplane traffic.

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

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

Surveillance footage taken from inside the airport caught the moment the two collided in midair

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

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

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

The FAA report said that staffing setup 'was not normal 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 below the target of 30 - according to the most recent Air Traffic Controller Workforce Plan submitted to Congress.

The situation appeared to have actually enhanced ever since, as a source told 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 absolutely nothing brand-new, with widely known causes consisting of high turnover and spending plan cuts.

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In order to fill the spaces, controllers are regularly 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 'uncommon'.

She stated: 'This NTSB action is highly unusual. The release of an emergency situation recommendation asking for the FAA take immediate action, before the conclusion of the NTSB investigation is rare.'

The 2 aircraft had actually clashed in a substantial fireball that showed up 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 guest aircraft crashed-landed upside down in chaotic scenes at Toronto Pearson International Airport in Canada.

Miraculously, everyone on board made it through after being suspended upside-down by their seat belts for a number of minutes till they tentatively began evacuating.

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

Some 21 people were required to the medical facility for treatment to small injuries, and Delta has offered each individual a no-strings $30,000 payment in settlement.

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

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

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

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

American Airlines