WASHINGTON, D.C. – The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has issued a stark warning about the safety risks in the airspace surrounding Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA) after a devastating midair collision between a U.S. Army Black Hawk helicopter and an American Airlines regional jet. The January 29 crash sent both aircraft plunging into the icy Potomac River, killing all 67 people aboard.

During a Tuesday press conference, NTSB Chair Jennifer Homendy called the flight patterns around DCA "an intolerable risk," citing the close proximity in which helicopters and commercial planes operate. She urged the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to take immediate action, saying, "It shouldn't take a tragedy to require immediate action."

A Collision That Should Have Been Prevented

The NTSB's preliminary report, released this week, provides a detailed timeline of the events leading up to the fatal collision. Flight 5342, an American Airlines regional jet, was on final approach to Runway 33 when it collided with PAT25, a U.S. Army Black Hawk helicopter, at an altitude of 278 feet. The helicopter, which was supposed to be flying no higher than 200 feet, may have had faulty altimeter readings.

According to flight data and air traffic control recordings, multiple warnings were issued in the final moments before impact, including an automated traffic alert and a last-minute ATC directive for the helicopter to pass behind the jet. However, communication breakdowns and misinterpretations contributed to the crash.

Warning Signs Were Missed

The NTSB report highlights that warning signs of a potential disaster had been present for years. Investigators uncovered 15,214 “near-miss events” at DCA between 2021 and 2024, where aircraft came within one nautical mile of colliding and were separated by less than 400 feet vertically. Additionally, there were 85 cases where two aircraft were less than 1,500 feet apart horizontally and 200 feet apart vertically—distances alarmingly similar to those of the fatal collision.

The NTSB also noted that the Army helicopter crew may not have received critical radio transmissions from the control tower. Specifically, a transmission stating that the jet was “circling” may not have been heard, which could have impacted the crew’s awareness of the approaching aircraft.

Further complicating the situation, investigators found that a single controller had been working two positions in the tower at the time of the crash. While this is permitted under certain circumstances, records show that the controller had been handling both positions since 3:30 p.m.—more than five hours before the accident at approximately 8:50 p.m.

Helicopter Routes Near DCA Pose Safety Risks

The NTSB is now recommending that certain helicopter routes be closed under specific conditions. The agency’s latest safety recommendations call for a permanent ban on operations along Helicopter Route 4 between Hains Point and the Wilson Bridge whenever Runways 15 and 33 are in use for departures and arrivals at DCA.

Additionally, the NTSB has urged the FAA to designate an alternative helicopter route to facilitate travel when Route 4 is unavailable.

FAA Faces Growing Pressure to Act

While the NTSB can issue safety recommendations, it is up to the FAA to enforce them. In response to the collision, the FAA imposed a temporary six-square-mile restriction on helicopter operations near DCA, which remains in place until March 31. However, NTSB Chair Homendy and lawmakers are demanding a permanent solution.

“The NTSB report provides ample data that this helicopter route and the commercial aviation landing route never should have been allowed to coexist,” said Sen. Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.), adding that the findings raise “serious questions” about why safety concerns were ignored for so long.

The families of those killed in the crash echoed this frustration. In a statement, 18 relatives of victims said, "This was not an isolated incident, but a symptom of broader failures in our aviation safety system. Serious, systemic failures in air travel safety cost our loved ones their lives and continue to threaten public safety."

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