The deadly mid-air collision over Washington, D.C., has reignited concerns over air traffic congestion and safety risks at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, a tightly packed aviation hub that shares airspace with military and government flights.

The staffing at the air control tower at Reagan National Airport was "not normal" when an American Airlines plane and Army helicopter collided on Wednesday night, a report shows.

An airspace cluttered with passenger planes and military aircraft. A history of near-crashes. And a growing shortage of air traffic controllers available to manage it all. Some experts, politicians and airport managers have been warning for years of the risks posed by the crowded airspace and volume of flights at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA).

Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA) services both military helicopters and passenger planes every day.

American Airlines Chief Executive Robert Isom said Flight 5342 was “on an otherwise normal approach” to Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport when it collided with a military helicopter Wednesday night.

The crash near Reagan National Airport has renewed questions about the airport's flight load, considering its small size, among other issues.

""DCA is one of the most demanding airports in the world. It also has what’s known as ‘helicopter alley’ with hundreds of police, military, news and rescue helicopters criss-crossing the Potomac River,

Airport preferred by Washington lawmakers and lobbyists lies in some of the most congested airspace in the country.

It will be some time before investigators can offer clear answers to the cause of the midair crash at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport but air traffic controller audio and radar reviewed by NPR offer some insight into what happened before.

It will be some time before investigators can offer clear answers to the cause of the midair crash at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport but air traffic controller audio and radar reviewed by NPR offer some insight into what happened before.

On Tuesday, a day before Wednesday’s fatal collision, a Republic Airways jet from Windsor Locks, Conn., was minutes away from landing at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport before it aborted its landing to avoid a helicopter in its way.