KEY POINTS
- American Airlines flight collides mid-air with a Black Hawk
- The jet was carrying 60 passengers and four crew members
- Three soldiers were in the helicopter
ISLAMABAD: A regional passenger plane from Kansas, the United States, crashed into Washington’s chilly Potomac River after colliding mid-air with a military helicopter near Reagan National Airport on Wednesday.
The crash prompted a major emergency response and grounding of all flights.
There was no immediate official information about casualties, however, BBC reported that nineteen bodies have been pulled from the Potomac River so far.
How many passengers?
Kansas Senator Roger Marshall said on X that it was “carrying roughly 60 passengers.” It was not clear where he obtained the information.
Four crew members were also aboard.
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DC Mayor Muriel Bowser:
-Passenger plane collided with military helicopter.
-Executing rescue mission in Potomac River in dangerous, dark conditions.
-She was briefed by American Airlines; told their leadership is on their way to DC.…— Sierra Fox (@thesierrafox) January 30, 2025
A US Army official said the helicopter was a Black Hawk model carrying three soldiers as crew aboard – their status is currently unknown.
What happened?
The FAA said a Bombardier regional jet operated by American Airlines subsidiary PSA Airlines “collided in midair” with a Sikorsky UH-60 helicopter as it approached for landing at Reagan at around 9:00 pm (0200 GMT).
The plane had left from Wichita, Kansas.
On its website, American Airlines said in a statement: “We’re aware of reports that American Eagle flight 5342, operated by PSA, with service from Wichita, Kansas (ICT) to Washington Reagan National Airport (DCA) has been involved in an incident. We will provide information as it becomes available.”
Washington police said, “There is no confirmed information on casualties at this time.”
Who was aboard?
According to BBC, US Figure Skating said “several members of our skating community were sadly aboard” the flight.
It said this group comprised athletes, coaches and family members who were returning home from a development camp in Kansas.
Eyewitness account
A man named Ari Schulman told a US media outlet NBC that he saw the plane crash while driving on the George Washington Parkway, which runs along the airport.
ALSO READ: Plane Collides with Helicopter Near Washington Airport
“The plane’s approach looked normal, until he saw the aircraft bank hard to the right, with “streams of sparks” running underneath, illuminating its belly.
At that point, he said he knew that it looked “very, very wrong”. Having seen plane landings there in the past, he said a plane’s underside should not have been visible in the dark.
The sparks, he said, resembled a “giant Roman candle” and went from the plane’s nose to its tail.
Trump’s reaction
President Donald Trump said he had been fully briefed on the “terrible accident” and that he was monitoring the situation closely.
“May God Bless their souls,” he said in a statement. “Thank you for the incredible work being done by our first responders.
On his TruthSocial social media account, he has also raised questions about how the incident could have happened, writing: “This is a bad situation that looks like it should have been prevented. NOT GOOD!!!”
Vice-President JD Vance
Vice-President JD Vance asked for prayers for those who were in the incident.
Please say a prayer for everyone involved in the mid-air collision near Reagan airport this evening. We're monitoring the situation, but for now let's hope for the best.
— JD Vance (@JDVance) January 30, 2025
Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth and Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, whose appointments were just recently confirmed, also said they were monitoring the situation.
Latest below. Absolutely tragic. Search and rescue efforts still ongoing. Prayers for all impacted souls, and their families.
Investigation launched immediately by Army & DoD. pic.twitter.com/WdUnYV4UJz
— Pete Hegseth (@PeteHegseth) January 30, 2025
Asked if flight paths near Ronald Reagan Airport would be changed after the incident, Duffy said “We will take appropriate action if necessary”. He added: “There will be a review of what happened here tonight.”
