Alarms were raised about ‘congested’ airspace before fatal Washington crash

Crash called ‘avoidable’, with lawmakers and residents previously sounding alarm about region’s crowded skies

Signs display an "Emergency Alert" above an American Airlines counter in the terminal at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, Wednesday night, Jan. 29, 2025, in Arlington, Va. Picture: AP Photo/Jeannie Ohm

After Wednesday’s fatal crash which took down a commercial jet and a military helicopter on a training flight at Washington DC’s Reagan National airport, public officials and aviation experts are resurfacing concerns about how uniquely congested the airspace is around the country’s capital.

As of Thursday night, authorities have said all 64 people on the American Airlines flight were presumed dead as well as three more on the army helicopter, making the incident the deadliest US air tragedy since 2001.