American Airlines and Black Hawk Collision Near Washington DC Came After Fifteen Thousand Aircraft Near Misses in US Airspace, FAA Faces Scrutiny, New Report Shows

One of the most concerning areas is Runway 33 at Reagan National, where helicopters sometimes operate at altitudes that leave less than 100 feet of vertical separation from incoming commercial jets. Current flight patterns, approved annually by air traffic authorities, have remained largely unchanged, even as incident data mounted.

In response to rising concerns, the national aviation regulator has pledged to enhance its use of flight data and apply artificial intelligence tools to better detect hazardous patterns in U.S. airspace, particularly in zones with dense helicopter traffic. Officials stated that this new review process could be completed in the coming weeks.

Despite internal updates to military flight protocols, many missions still operate without transmitting location data, raising ongoing concerns about visibility in already congested skies. Previous communications indicated that nearly all military flights in the region operate without this safety system enabled.

A new report reveals that over 15,000 near misses in US airspace occurred before the fatal collision between an American Airlines jet and a Black Hawk helicopter near Washington D.C., prompting scrutiny of the FAA's failure to act.

An official request for information regarding these practices, sent earlier this month, has so far gone unanswered.

The fatal collision on January 29, which resulted in 67 lives lost, is now being seen as part of a broader systemic issue involving insufficient airspace coordination, delayed data-driven reforms, and gaps in inter-agency communication. Investigations continue, with regulators and defense officials under increased pressure to revise procedures and prevent future tragedies.