Federal private investigators have raised issues of a capacity for another lethal plane crash at Reagan National Airport, after a midair accident previously this year eliminated 67.
The National Transportation Safety Board provided an update on their investigation into the cause of the catastrophe which occurred 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 launched on Tuesday, detectives raised issues of more crashes involving helicopters at the airport.
NTSB chair Jennifer Homendy stated: 'We remain concerned about the significant potential for future mid-air crash at DCA.'
Her issues focus on Transport Secretary Sean Duffy relocating to limit helicopter traffic around the area, but that is set to stop at the end of the month.
When police, medical or presidential transportation helicopters need to utilize the space civilian planes are stopped from remaining in the exact same location.
Homendy stated the NTSB is now advising that the FAA discover a 'permanent solution' for detours for helicopters when 2 of the airport's runways remain in usage.
Emergency units react 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 talks to reporters about the 29 January mid-air accident
It was also exposed on Tuesday that there was cautioning indications in the lead up to the fatal catastrophe.
Those penetrating the crash went through 944,179 operations in between October 2021 and December 2024.
It was discovered that 15,214 'near-miss occasions' of planes getting signals about helicopters being in close distance 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 added: 'That information from October 2021 through December 2024, (the FAA) could have utilized that information at any time to determine that we have a pattern here and a problem here, and looked at that path; that didn't happen, which is why we're taking action today. But regrettably, people lost lives, and enjoyed ones are grieving.'
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy slammed these findings at a later interview on Tuesday.
Duffy stated: 'I think the concern is when this data is available in how did the FAA not understand. How did they not study the information to state "hi, this is a hot spot, we are having near misses out on and if we do not change our ways we are gon na lose lives".'
He added: 'That wasn't done, maybe there was a focus on something besides safety.'
Duffy would later on added when questioned by a press 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 individuals
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Investigators think that the helicopter associated with the crash may have had inaccurate altitude readings in the minutes before the crash.
The crash likely took place at an elevation just under 300 feet, as the airplane descended towards the chopper, which was above its 200-foot limit for that place.

On Tuesday American Airlines welcomed the report by the NTSB, stating: 'We're grateful for the National Transportation Safety Board's urgent security recommendations to limit helicopter traffic near DCA and for its extensive examination.
'We will continue to coordinate closely with PSA Airlines as it cooperates as an investigative celebration member.'
The helicopter pilots might have likewise missed part of another interaction, when the tower said the jet was turning toward a different runway, Homendy stated last month.
The helicopter was on a 'check' flight that night where the pilot was going through a yearly test and a test on using night vision safety glasses, Homendy stated.
Investigators think the team was wearing night vision goggles throughout the flight.
The Army has said the Black Hawk crew was extremely experienced, and accustomed to the crowded skies around the country ´ s capital.

At the time of the accident, a single air traffic controller was at the same time keeping track of both the helicopter and plane traffic.
Those tasks are normally dealt with between 2 people from 10am till 9:30 pm, according to an early FAA report seen by The New York Times.
Those jobs are generally dealt with in between 2 individuals from 10am up until 9:30 pm, according to the report.
Surveillance footage taken from inside the airport captured the minute 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 airplane traffic. Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport is seen here
After 9:30 pm the tasks are normally integrated and left to someone as the airport sees less traffic later on in the night.
A supervisor supposedly decided to combine those responsibilities before the set up cutoff time nevertheless, and allowed one air traffic controller to leave work early.
The FAA report stated 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 fully certified 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 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 absolutely nothing new, with well-known causes including high turnover and budget 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, 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 asking for the FAA take instant action, before the completion of the NTSB investigation is rare.'
The two airplane had collided in a big fireball that was visible 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 airplane crashed-landed upside down in chaotic scenes at Toronto Pearson International Airport in Canada.
Miraculously, everybody on board survived after being suspended upside-down by their seat belts for several minutes till they tentatively started evacuating.
The airplane had actually been heading to Toronto from Minneapolis - Saint Paul International Airport with 76 passengers and 4 team members on board.
Some 21 people were required to the hospital for treatment to minor injuries, and Delta has actually used each person a no-strings $30,000 payment in settlement.
And the airplane carnage is ongoing - on Sunday, yet another jet crash-landed, this time in a car park of a suburban Pennsylvania retirement community.
Dramatic video footage showed the Beechcraft A36TC erupt in flames in the parking lot of Brethren Village in Manheim Township. Five people were hurried to hospital.
Medics, ambulances, and emergency situation automobiles rushed to the scene in Lancaster County as flames swallowed up the airplane and neighboring automobiles.

The plane took off as arranged on Sunday afternoon, but quickly asked for to land back on the tarmac since its door had opened.
American Airlines