The investigation into a January midair collision that killed 67 people near Washington, D.C., revealed an alarming number of recent close calls just outside the nation’s capital.

The National Transportation Safety Board on Tuesday recommended that helicopter traffic be banned from a four-mile stretch over the Potomac River when flights are landing at Ronald Reagan National Airport.

Federal investigators looking into the cause of the January collision between a passenger jet and an Army helicopter near Washington, D.C., that killed

The National Transportation Safety Board issued urgent safety recommendations Tuesday, warning that helicopter flights near the Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport pose serious safety risks and one helicopter route should be closed during airport operations.

Chairman Jennifer Homendy said the NTSB is recommending that the Federal Aviation Administration permanently ban helicopter operations near Reagan when runways 15 and 33 are in use.

The NTSB released a preliminary report on the DCA collision between a plane and helicopter in January while giving urgent recommendations to the FAA.

Helicopter traffic should be permanently banned near Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport during certain periods to alleviate congestion and avoid a repeat of the deadly midair collision that occurred there in January,

The National Transportation Safety Board is calling for a ban on some helicopter flights near Reagan Airport after an airliner and Army Black Hawk collided in January.