An American Airlines regional jet and a U.S. Army Black Hawk helicopter crashed Wednesday night in a collision over the Potomac River near Washington, D.C., with no survivors expected. Sixty-four people were aboard the plane.
Find out more below.
Where Was the D.C. Flight Coming From?
American Airlines Flight 5342 departed from Wichita, Kansas, and was preparing to land at Reagan National Airport.
Flight path of American Airlines jet before crashing into helicopter pic.twitter.com/1MmTWPXrXM
— Daily Mail Online (@MailOnline) January 30, 2025
Robert Isom, CEO of American Airlines, stated that the aircraft involved in the tragic collision on Wednesday night was operated by PSA Airlines, a fully owned subsidiary of the company.
Isom shared during a press conference: “On final approach into Reagan National, it collided with a military aircraft on an otherwise normal approach. At this time, we don’t know why the military aircraft came into the path of the … aircraft,” according to The Associated Press.
Where Was the Black Hawk Helicopter Coming From?
The military aircraft came from the Davison Army Airfield in Fort Belvoir, Va., south of Washington.
Prior to the collision, Air Traffic Control asked the helicopter pilot if he had the airplane in sight and further instructed the pilot to “pass behind” the airplane.
Where Is Reagan International Airport?
Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA) is located in Arlington, Virginia, just across the Potomac River from downtown Washington, D.C. It has one of the busiest airspaces in the world, including the busiest runway in the U.S., Runway 1.
The airport reopened Thursday morning, about 14 hours after the devastating crash.
Where Is the Potomac River?
The Potomac River is located along the eastern United States, flowing through the states of West Virginia, Maryland, and Virginia. It runs into the Chesapeake Bay, passing through Washington, D.C. on its way. The river serves as a natural border between Washington, D.C., and Virginia.
Are There Any Survivors from the American Airlines Crash?
During a news conference, D.C. Fire and EMS Chief John Donnelly shared: “We are now at a point where we are switching from a rescue operation to a recovery operation. We don’t believe there are any survivors from this accident,” according to Politico.
“It’s a highly complex operation, the conditions out there are extremely rough for the responders. It’s cold. They’re dealing with relatively windy conditions,” Donnelly added.
During a news briefing Thursday morning, officials reported that 27 bodies had been recovered from the plane and one from the helicopter.
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