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

The National Transportation Safety Board offered an update on their investigation into the cause of 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, eliminating everyone on board both airplanes.

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

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

Her concerns focus on Transport Secretary Sean Duffy relocating to restrict helicopter traffic around the area, but that is set to stop at the end of the month.

When authorities, medical or presidential transport helicopters must use the area civilian aircrafts are stopped from being in the same area.

Homendy stated the NTSB is now recommending that the FAA discover a 'permanent service' for detours for helicopters when 2 of the airport's runways remain in use.

Emergency systems respond after a passenger aircraft collided 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 press reporters about the 29 January mid-air crash

It was likewise exposed on Tuesday that there was warning check in the lead up to the lethal disaster.

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

It was uncovered 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 also said that there were 85 cases where two airplane where laterally split by less than 1,500 feet, and a vertical separation of less than 200 feet.

Homendy added: 'That data from October 2021 through December 2024, (the FAA) might have utilized that information whenever to identify that we have a pattern here and an issue here, and took a look at that path; that didn't occur, which is why we're acting today. But regrettably, people lost lives, and loved ones are grieving.'

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

Duffy stated: 'I think the question is when this information comes in how did the FAA not understand. How did they not study the data to say "hi, this is a hot spot, we are having near misses and if we don't alter our ways we are gon na lose lives".'

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

Duffy would later added when questioned by a reporter about the near misses that the information had 'p *** ed him off'.

Pictured: Parts of the wreckage seen being in the Potomac River after Flight 5342 hit an Army Black Hawk helicopter on Wednesday night, eliminating 67 people

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Investigators believe that the helicopter included in the crash may have had unreliable altitude readings in the minutes before the crash.

The crash likely happened at an elevation simply under 300 feet, as the aircraft came down towards the chopper, which was above its 200-foot limit 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 security suggestions to limit helicopter traffic near DCA and for its thorough investigation.

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

The helicopter pilots may have also missed part of another interaction, when the tower said the jet was turning toward a various 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 crew was wearing night vision goggles throughout the flight.

The Army has said the Black Hawk team was extremely experienced, and accustomed to the congested skies around the country ´ s capital.

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

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

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

Surveillance video taken from inside the airport captured the moment the two collided in midair

At the time of the crash, 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 tasks are usually combined and delegated one person as the airport sees less later in the night.

A supervisor apparently chose to integrate those tasks before the scheduled cutoff time nevertheless, and enabled 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 actually been understaffed for many years, with simply 19 totally licensed controllers as of September 2023 - well listed below the target of 30 - according to the most recent Air Traffic Controller Workforce Plan submitted to Congress.

The situation appeared to have improved given that then, 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 popular 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, previous 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 suggestion requesting the FAA take immediate action, before the conclusion of the NTSB examination is rare.'

The 2 aircraft had clashed in a huge 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, on February 17, a Delta passenger plane crashed-landed upside down in disorderly scenes at Toronto Pearson International Airport in Canada.

Miraculously, everyone on board made it through after being suspended upside-down by their seatbelts for a number of minutes till they tentatively started leaving.

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

Some 21 people were taken to the health center for treatment to minor injuries, and Delta has used each person 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 car park of a rural Pennsylvania retirement community.

Dramatic footage showed the Beechcraft A36TC erupt in flames in the parking area of Brethren Village in Manheim Township. Five people were hurried to hospital.

Medics, ambulances, and emergency vehicles hurried to the scene in Lancaster County as flames engulfed the plane and close-by lorries.

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

American Airlines