The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) held a tense hearing on the midair collision near Washington Reagan National Airport that killed 67 people, including 28 figure skaters, on January 29, last year.
Investigators highlighted long-standing risks ignored by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), including denied requests to reduce air traffic and the failure to relocate helicopter routes after a similar near miss in 2013.
NTSB Chair Jennifer Homendy said the crash was 100% preventable and criticized the FAA’s slow response.
Animations showed how hard it was for pilots to see each other at night, even with windshields and night-vision goggles. Investigators also said overwhelmed controllers and poor communication between the Army and the FAA worsened the situation.
The board issued more than 30 recommendations, urging improvements in training, route planning, and collision-avoidance systems.
The FAA said it is reviewing the recommendations and has reduced the number of hourly arrivals at Reagan and increased tower staff to improve safety.