A passenger jet carrying 64 individuals collided mid-air with a U.S. Army Black Hawk helicopter near Ronald Reagan National Airport, resulting in multiple fatalities and a significant search and rescue operation over the Potomac River.
On the evening of January 29, 2025, at approximately 9:00 PM local time, American Airlines Flight 5342, a Bombardier CRJ700 en route from Wichita, Kansas, was on its final approach to Ronald Reagan National Airport when it collided with a U.S. Army UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter conducting a training mission. The collision occurred over the Potomac River, just outside Washington D.C.
The passenger jet was carrying 60 passengers and 4 crew members, while the military helicopter had 3 soldiers on board. Emergency responders, numbering around 300, have been deployed to the crash site, facing challenging conditions including darkness and cold temperatures, in a concerted effort to locate and rescue survivors. As of now, 18 bodies have been recovered from the river, with no confirmed survivors.
In response to the incident, all operations at Ronald Reagan National Airport were temporarily suspended. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) have initiated a comprehensive investigation to determine the cause of the collision. Preliminary reports suggest that the passenger jet was on its designated flight path during its descent, while the circumstances leading to the helicopter’s presence in the same airspace remain under scrutiny.
President Donald Trump expressed his condolences to the families affected by the tragedy and commended the efforts of the first responders. He emphasized the importance of a thorough investigation to prevent such incidents in the future.
This tragic event has drawn comparisons to the 1982 Air Florida Flight 90 crash, which also occurred over the Potomac River. The current incident serves as a somber reminder of the critical importance of stringent air traffic control measures and the need for continuous evaluation of flight safety protocols, especially in highly monitored airspace near the nation’s capital.
As the investigation unfolds, authorities are urging anyone with information or footage related to the collision to come forward to assist in piecing together the events that led to this devastating accident.
