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.

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,

Federal investigators probing January’s fatal air collision near Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport have called for restrictions on military helicopters to make the area safer for commercial passengers.