The NTSB said that the long-established route followed by helicopters, referred to in the report as Route 4, is fraught with danger. "Existing separation distances between helicopter traffic operating on Route 4 and aircraft landing on runway 33 are insufficient and pose an intolerable risk to aviation safety by increasing the chances of a midair collision,

Helicopters should be barred from a four-mile stretch over the Potomac River when flights are landing on Reagan National Airport’s Runway 33, National Transportation Safety Board Chair Jennifer Homendy said as the NTSB unveiled “urgent safety recommendations” after the deadly mid-air collision in January.

The National Transportation Safety Board on Tuesday released two reports — one on preliminary findings and another on safety recommendations — related to the deadly collision of an Army Black Hawk helicopter and an American Airlines regional jet in January.