Documents obtained by CBS News show that two separate passenger aircraft had close encounters with Army helicopters on the day before a deadly midair collision over Washington, D.C. in January 2025 that killed 67 people.

According to the records, both passenger jets were forced to take sudden evasive action to avoid colliding with military helicopters in the area around Reagan National Airport. The incidents occurred just 24 hours before the fatal crash that claimed 67 lives.

A former air traffic controller at Reagan National Airport has spoken publicly about what they describe as years of unheeded safety warnings that preceded the 2025 collision. The controller characterized the situation as operating under stressed conditions, stating that the system "worked until it didn't."

The 2025 crash involved American Airlines Flight 5342, which went down in the Potomac River. Among the victims were seven friends who had been returning from a hunting trip, leaving behind widows who are now navigating their grief together.

US Central Command has not yet issued a public statement regarding the incidents or the documents that have come to light. The revelations raise questions about aviation safety protocols and coordination between civilian and military aircraft in the busy Washington, D.C. airspace.