Federal investigators have actually raised concerns 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 provided an update on their examination 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, killing everyone on board both airplanes.
As part of an initial report released on Tuesday, investigators raised concerns of more crashes involving helicopters at the airport.
NTSB chair Jennifer Homendy said: 'We remain concerned about the substantial capacity for future mid-air collision at DCA.'
Her issues focus on Transport Secretary Sean Duffy transferring to limit helicopter traffic around the location, however that is set to stop at the end of the month.
When authorities, medical or presidential transport helicopters must utilize the space civilian airplanes are stopped from being in the exact same area.
Homendy stated the NTSB is now recommending that the FAA find a 'long-term service' for alternate routes for helicopters when two of the airport's runways are in use.
Emergency units respond after a guest aircraft hit 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 exposed on Tuesday that there was cautioning signs in the lead up to the lethal disaster.
Those penetrating the crash went through 944,179 operations between October 2021 and December 2024.
It was discovered that 15,214 'near-miss events' of airplanes getting alerts about helicopters being in close proximity in between October 2021 and December 2024.
The NTSB also 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 added: 'That information from October 2021 through December 2024, (the FAA) might have utilized that info any time to determine that we have a trend here and an issue here, and took a look at that path
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Crash Warning as Report into DC Disaster at Reagan Airport Is Released
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