Chilling history of near misses at DC airport where Black Hawk helicopter collided with American Airlines plane

Aviation experts are sounding the alarm over the dangerous airspace over Reagan International Airport as they described last weeks American Airlines crash as a disaster waiting to happen.

Aviation experts are sounding the alarm over the dangerous airspace over Reagan International Airport as they described last weeks American Airlines crash as a disaster waiting to happen. 

The congested airspace over the Washington DC airport routinely sees commercial jets crossover with military aircraft and avoid restricted areas around sensitive sites, which pilots say has caused issues for decades.

Data from the FAA found there were over 30 reports of near-midair collisions over the airport as far back as 1987, with at least 10 involving military aircraft, according to NPR

Seven of these reports involved military helicopters under chillingly similar circumstances to the American Airlines crash on January 29 that caused the death of 67 people

One such incident occurred just over 24 hours before the fatal collision, when a passenger jet was ordered to circle around Reagan National and re-try its landing after being warned about a nearby military helicopter. 

Retired US Army National Guard pilot Darrell Feller told ABC News this week the American Airlines crash reminded him of a terrifying incident a decade ago. 

Feller said he was piloting a military helicopter along the Potomac River near Reagan Airport when an air traffic controller warned him about a passenger jet landing on runway 3-3 - the same runway the American Airlines jet was landing on when it crashed. 

He recalled the lights of DC made it impossible to see the jetliner, and he was forced to descend to just 50ft over the river to ensure he would be far lower than the passenger jet. 

Feller theorized similar conditions may have led to the American Airlines disaster, recalling: I could not see him, I lost him in the city lights... it did scare me. 

In the aftermath of the January 29 tragedy over Reagan International Airport where an American Airlines jet collided with a US miliary Blackhawk helicopter, aviation experts warned it was a disaster waiting to happen

In the aftermath of the January 29 tragedy over Reagan International Airport where an American Airlines jet collided with a US miliary Blackhawk helicopter, aviation experts warned it was a disaster waiting to happen 

Experts warn Reagan International Airports congested airspace and crossovers with military flights have been an issue for years. Data from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) found there were over 30 reports of near-midair collisions over the airport as far back as 1987

Experts warn Reagan International Airports congested airspace and crossovers with military flights have been an issue for years. Data from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) found there were over 30 reports of near-midair collisions over the airport as far back as 1987 

Just over 24 hours before the fatal collision, a passenger jet was ordered to circle around Reagan National and re-try its landing after being warned about a nearby military helicopter. Pictured is the jets flight path

Just over 24 hours before the fatal collision, a passenger jet was ordered to circle around Reagan National and re-try its landing after being warned about a nearby military helicopter. Pictured is the jets flight path 

The eerie similarities between Fellers account of his near-miss and the American Airlines crash echo warnings from aviation experts who say the complex airspace over Reagan Airport may be to blame. 

This was a disaster waiting to happen, Ross Aimer, a retired United Airlines captain and chief executive officer of Aero Consulting Experts, told ABC. 

Those of us who have been around a long time have been yelling into a vacuum that something like this would happen because our systems are stretched to extremes. 

Authorities are yet to determine the official cause of the collision, however reports from the aftermath have highlighted a number of dire issues with how Reagans airspace operates. 

Namely, a FAA report found that just one supervisor was doing the work of two people in air traffic control when the crash occurred. 

It also remains unclear why the Blackhawk helicopter was flying over 100ft above its permitted altitude, putting it on a deadly collision course with the landing American Airlines jet a week ago. 

Feller added that when he was an instructor pilot for the DC National Guard, he imposed a 200ft ceiling rule on new pilots to ensure such disasters were mitigated, but this was not a mandated rule. 

He said he urged pilots to be on guard for jets landing on the 3-3 runway as they can be difficult to spot at night with city lights in the background, saying landing lights get mixed up with ground lights, (and) with cars.  

Retired U.S. Army National Guard pilot Darrell Feller (pictured) said the American Airlines disaster was eerily similar to a near-miss he had over a decade ago in the same airspace, where he lost sight of a passenger jet due to city lights from Washington DC

Retired U.S. Army National Guard pilot Darrell Feller (pictured) said the American Airlines disaster was eerily similar to a near-miss he had over a decade ago in the same airspace, where he lost sight of a passenger jet due to city lights from Washington DC 

Search and rescue members work at the wreckage site in the Potomac River, where 67 people lost their lives as nobody survived the crash

Search and rescue members work at the wreckage site in the Potomac River, where 67 people lost their lives as nobody survived the crash 

Experts say issues with the airspace may have been worsened by a decision from Congress last year to ease restrictions on how many flights landed at Reagan, alongside the expansion of routes that fly out of the airport.  

Amid questions as to why the military aircraft was allowed to fly so close to the American Airlines jet, Jim Brauchle, a former U.S. Air Force navigator and aviation attorney, said this week that the congested airspace has long posed issues for pilots. 

Even if everybody is doing what theyre supposed to be doing, youve only got a few hundred feet separation between aircraft coming in to land and the many helicopters along that route, he said. 

It doesnt leave a whole lot of margin of error. 

Aviation attorney Robert Clifford told ABC that he is calling for the US government to temporarily halt the practice of military helicopters flying in Reagans airspace in response to the tragedy. 

I cant get over how stunningly clear it is that this was a preventable crash and this should never, ever have occurred, he said. 

There have been discussions for some time about the congestion associated with that and the potential for disaster. And we saw it come home (on January 29).