The airspace around Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport has long been problematic due to heavy military and commercial flight activity in the nation’s capital, according to industry insiders.

RICHMOND, Va. ( WWBT /Gray News) - A retired pilot gave a first-hand view of what it’s like to land at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport. Chuck Smith says he has made that approach and landing hundreds of times in his career. He shared a video showing what it looks like to fly near Washington, D.C., and over the Potomac River.

On May 29, 2024, an American Airlines Airbus A319, in the early stages of take-off, was forced to brake heavily to avoid a collision at Washington National. The flight, with around 100 passengers and crew onboard, was headed for Boston Logan International (BOS) and had been cleared for take-off.

Political leaders had warned about the dangers of Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport in Washington, D.C. months before an American Airlines flight collided with a U.S. Army Black Hawk helicopter on its approach to the airport.

God forbid waking up and looking in a mirror one day and say, ‘Wow, I was warned. I was warned and I shouldn’t have done this,’” Kaine said in 2024.

Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport will be closed until at least 11 a.m. ET Thursday after a passenger jet and a military helicopter crashed