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Federal private investigators have actually raised issues of a capacity for another lethal 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 catastrophe 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 aircrafts.

As part of a preliminary report released on Tuesday, private investigators raised concerns of more crashes including helicopters at the airport.

NTSB chair Jennifer Homendy said: 'We stay worried about the significant potential for future mid-air accident at DCA.'

Her issues revolve around Transport Secretary Sean Duffy transferring to restrict 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 utilize the space civilian aircrafts are stopped from being in the exact same location.

Homendy stated the NTSB is now advising that the FAA discover a 'long-term solution' for detours for helicopters when 2 of the airport's runways remain in use.

Emergency systems respond after a passenger airplane 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 collision

It was also revealed on Tuesday that there was alerting indications 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 airplanes getting notifies about helicopters being in close distance in between October 2021 and December 2024.

The NTSB likewise said that there were 85 cases where two aircraft where laterally split 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 utilized that info at any time to determine that we have a pattern here and an issue here, and looked at that route; that didn't occur, which is why we're taking action today. But regrettably, 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 believe the question is when this data can be found in how did the FAA not know. How did they not study the information to state "hello, this is a hot area, we are having near misses and if we do not change our ways we are gon na lose lives".'

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

Duffy would later added when questioned by a reporter about the near misses 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 included in the crash might have had unreliable altitude readings in the minutes before the crash.

The accident 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 immediate safety suggestions to limit helicopter traffic near DCA and for its extensive investigation.

'We will continue to collaborate closely with PSA Airlines as it cooperates 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 different runway, Homendy said last month.

The helicopter was on a 'check' flight that night where the pilot was going through a yearly test and a test on utilizing night vision safety glasses, Homendy said.

Investigators think the crew was using night vision goggles throughout the flight.

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

At the time of the crash, a single air traffic controller was all at once monitoring both the helicopter and airplane traffic.

Those tasks are generally dealt with in between 2 people from 10am till 9:30 pm, according to an early FAA report seen by The New York Times.

Those tasks are generally handled between 2 people from 10am up until 9:30 pm, according to the report.

Surveillance video taken from inside the airport caught the moment the 2 collided in midair

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

After 9:30 pm the tasks are usually integrated and delegated one person as the airport sees less traffic later on in the night.

A supervisor apparently chose to combine those responsibilities before the arranged cutoff time nevertheless, and enabled one air traffic controller to leave work early.

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

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

The scenario appeared to have enhanced 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 towers is absolutely nothing new, with popular causes including 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 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 unusual.'

The two aircraft had 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 February 17, a Delta guest plane crashed-landed upside down in disorderly scenes at Toronto Pearson International Airport in Canada.

Miraculously, everybody on board endured after being suspended upside-down by their seat belts for several minutes till they tentatively started leaving.

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

Some 21 people were taken to the health center for treatment to minor injuries, and Delta has offered each individual a no-strings $30,000 payment in payment.

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

Dramatic video revealed the Beechcraft A36TC emerge in flames in the parking area of Brethren Village in Manheim Township. Five people were rushed to healthcare facility.

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

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

American Airlines