Crash Warning as Report into DC Disaster at Reagan Airport Is Released

Federal investigators have raised concerns of a potential for another fatal aircraft crash at Reagan National Airport, after a midair crash earlier this year killed 67.

The National Transportation Safety Board gave an update on their examination into the reason for the disaster 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 everybody on board both airplanes.

As part of an initial report released on Tuesday, investigators raised concerns of more collisions including helicopters at the airport.

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

Her issues focus on Transport Secretary Sean Duffy transferring to limit helicopter traffic around the area, but that is set to cease at the end of the month.

When authorities, medical or presidential transport helicopters need to use the space civilian planes are stopped from being in the very same area.

Homendy stated the NTSB is now suggesting that the FAA discover a 'irreversible option' for detours for helicopters when two of the airport's runways are in usage.

Emergency units respond after a guest aircraft clashed 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 talks to reporters about the 29 January crash

It was also exposed on Tuesday that there was warning check in the lead up to the deadly catastrophe.

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

It was discovered that 15,214 'near-miss occasions' of aircrafts getting notifies about helicopters being in close proximity 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 included: 'That data from October 2021 through December 2024, (the FAA) might have utilized that info at any time to identify that we have a trend here and an issue here, and took a look at that route; that didn't happen, which is why we're acting today. But sadly, individuals lost lives, and loved ones are grieving.'

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

Duffy said: 'I think the question is when this data is available in how did the FAA not know. How did they not study the data to say "hi, this is a hot spot, we are having near misses out on and if we don't alter our methods we are gon na lose lives".'

He added: 'That wasn't done, possibly there was a concentrate on something besides safety.'

Duffy would later included when questioned by a reporter about the near misses out on that the data 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 think that the helicopter included in the crash might have had incorrect altitude readings in the minutes before the crash.

The collision most likely happened at an elevation just under 300 feet, as the airplane descended toward the chopper, which was above its 200-foot limitation for that place.

On Tuesday American Airlines invited the report by the NTSB, saying: 'We're grateful for the National Transportation Safety Board's immediate safety recommendations to restrict helicopter traffic near DCA and for its extensive investigation.

'We will continue to collaborate closely with PSA Airlines as it complies as an investigative party member.'

The helicopter pilots might have likewise missed part of another communication, when the tower stated the jet was turning towards a various 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 said.

Investigators believe the crew was using night vision safety glasses throughout the flight.

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

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

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

Those jobs are normally handled in between two individuals from 10am until 9:30 pm, according to the report.

Surveillance video drawn from inside the airport captured the minute the 2 collided in midair

At the time of the crash, a single air traffic controller was concurrently monitoring both the helicopter and plane traffic. Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport is seen here

After 9:30 pm the responsibilities are typically combined and delegated one person as the airport sees less traffic later on in the night.

A supervisor reportedly chose to integrate those tasks before the set up cutoff time nevertheless, and enabled one air traffic controller to leave work early.

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

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

The circumstance appeared to have actually improved 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 nothing new, with well-known causes including high turnover and budget cuts.

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In order to fill the gaps, controllers are often 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 'unusual'.

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

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

Miraculously, everyone on board endured after being suspended upside-down by their seatbelts for numerous minutes up until they tentatively began evacuating.

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

Some 21 individuals were required to the healthcare facility for treatment to small injuries, and Delta has actually provided everyone a no-strings $30,000 payment in settlement.

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

Dramatic video revealed the Beechcraft A36TC erupt in flames in the car park of Brethren Village in Manheim Township. Five individuals were hurried to medical facility.

Medics, ambulances, and emergency situation cars hurried to the scene in Lancaster County as flames swallowed up the aircraft and neighboring lorries.

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

American Airlines