A regional American Airways passenger jet and a Black Hawk army helicopter collided over Washington, D.C., on Wednesday evening within the nation’s first main industrial airline crash since 2009.
There are confirmed fatalities from the collision, legislation enforcement sources aware of the continued operation instructed ABC Information. A number of our bodies have been pulled from the Potomac River, and to date, no survivors have been rescued, sources stated.
Map of the world round Ronald Reagan Washington Nationwide Airport and the format of Runway 33, which the regional American Airways jet was approaching on the time of the collision with the Military Black Hawk helicopter, based on officers.
ABC Information, Flightradar24.com
There have been 60 passengers and 4 crew members aboard the jet, which may maintain as much as 70 passengers. It departed from Wichita, Kansas, based on the FAA.
“I do know that flight. I’ve flown it many instances myself,” Jerry Moran, a senator from Kansas, stated at a press briefing on Thursday morning.
“I lobbied American Airways to start having a direct, nonstop flight service to DCA,” he stated of the route, which has been working for about one 12 months.
“It’s definitely true that in Kansas and in Wichita specifically, we’ll know people who find themselves on this flight, know their members of the family, know any individual. So this can be a very private circumstance, in addition to an official response,” Moran added.
Three Army troopers had been aboard the Black Hawk helicopter on the time of the crash. Military officers confirmed that no senior army leaders had been onboard.
The Black Hawk helicopter was on a coaching flight on the time, based on Heather Chairez, spokesperson for Joint Job Drive-Nationwide Capital Area.
It was based mostly at Fort Belvoir, Virginia, based on an Military official. “We’re working with native officers and can present further info as soon as it turns into accessible,” the official stated.
The collision concerned American Airways Flight 5342, the airline stated. The flight was operated by PSA Airways.
“Our concern is for the passengers and crew on board the plane,” the airline stated. “We’re in touch with authorities and aiding with emergency response efforts.”
The Federal Aviation Administration stated preliminary info signifies {that a} PSA Airways Bombardier CRJ700 regional jet collided in midair with a Sikorsky H-60 helicopter whereas on strategy to the airport.
A multi-agency search-and-rescue operation is underway, authorities stated. About 300 responders had been on the scene as of late Wednesday evening, based on D.C. Hearth and EMS Chief John Donnelly.
The operation will proceed in a single day as divers and boats are looking the darkish, frigid waters of the Potomac River.
Officers haven’t supplied an replace on whether or not anybody had been pulled from the water or taken to the hospital however three emergency care suppliers within the Washington, D.C. area have confirmed with ABC Information that they haven’t but acquired any sufferers from the crash.
“Right now, we now have not acquired any sufferers,” VHC Well being, previously the Virginia Hospital Middle, stated in a press release at midnight on Wednesday. “The crash at Ronald Reagan Washington Nationwide Airport is a tragic and stunning tragedy and our ideas are with all these impacted by this incident. We’re working straight with the Arlington and Metropolitan Police Division, Hearth, and EMS groups and all authorities,” VHC Well being stated, including, “VHC Well being is ready to help and help first responders as these companies proceed their emergency response.”
The water temperature within the Potomac River is roughly 36 levels, and the air temperature on the time of the crash was 50 levels with winds gusting 25 to 30 mph.
That is the primary main industrial airplane crash in america since the Colgan Air crash close to Buffalo, New York, in 2009.
Rescue groups stage to assist search the Potomac River after a industrial airplane reportedly collided with a army helicopter on strategy to Ronald Reagan Nationwide Airport in Washington, Jan. 29 2025.
Shawn Thew/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock
President Donald Trump launched a press release following the crash Wednesday evening.
“I’ve been totally briefed on the horrible accident which simply befell at Reagan Nationwide Airport. Might God Bless their souls. Thanks for the unimaginable work being carried out by our first responders. I’m monitoring the scenario and can present extra particulars as they come up,” he wrote.
The president adopted up with a submit on Reality Social that gave the impression to be probing for additional solutions concerning the reason for the crash.
“Why didn’t the management tower inform the helicopter what to do as a substitute of asking in the event that they noticed the airplane,” he wrote within the submit, including, “It is a unhealthy scenario that appears prefer it ought to have been prevented. NOT GOOD!!!”
Protection Secretary Pete Hegseth stated the Military and Protection Division would “instantly” launch an investigation into the collision.
“Completely tragic. Search and rescue efforts nonetheless ongoing. Prayers for all impacted souls, and their households. Investigation launched instantly by Military & DoD,” Hegseth wrote on X.
Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin stated “intensive sources are totally supporting the search and rescue efforts” following the crash.
“First responders from throughout Northern Virginia, DC and Maryland mobilized rapidly,” he stated on X. “I ask everybody to hope for the passengers, crews, their households, and courageous first responders.”
Wichita Mayor Lily Wu mentioned the fact of individuals from her group being on the flight — noting that the primary direct flight from Wichita to the nation’s capital, which started day by day service on Jan. 8, 2024, coincided together with her first day in workplace.
“Our complete group proper now could be praying, hoping for higher information,” Wu instructed ABC Information. “However as a group, your entire metropolis of Wichita, the town council members and the workers all all through the town of Wichita are hoping that we now have higher information to come back out of this.”
In the meantime, in somber remarks at a information convention early Thursday morning, Kansas Sen. Roger Marshall advised he feared the passengers and crew aboard a regional American Airways jet and a Black Hawk helicopter that collided had been misplaced.
“When one particular person dies, it is a tragedy,” Marshall stated. “However when many, many, many individuals die, it is an insufferable sorrow … It is actually exhausting if you lose, you already know, in all probability over 60 Kansans, concurrently.”
Talking of the pilots, flight attendants and army personnel, Marshall added, “All these lives are so worthwhile, and it’s such a tragedy that we misplaced them.”
Officers haven’t publicly confirmed any fatalities.
Nonetheless, U.S. Determine Skating issued a press release saying that “a number of members of our skating group had been sadly aboard American Airways Flight 5342,” based on the assertion obtained by ABC Information.
“U.S. Determine Skating can affirm that a number of members of our skating group had been sadly aboard American Airways Flight 5342, which collided with a helicopter yesterday night in Washington, D.C. These athletes, coaches, and members of the family had been returning house from the Nationwide Improvement Camp held together with the U.S. Determine Skating Championships in Wichita, Kansas,” the assertion stated. “We’re devastated by this unspeakable tragedy and maintain the victims’ households intently in our hearts. We are going to proceed to observe the scenario and can launch extra info because it turns into accessible.”
Russian media additionally reported that two Russian determine skaters had been on board the airplane and expressed condolences to the households and buddies of these killed within the airplane crash.
“Sadly, we see that these unhappy info is being confirmed,” Russian presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov stated on Thursday morning. “There have been different of our fellow residents there. Unhealthy information from Washington at present.”
Earlier, a number of Russian state media retailers had been reporting that Russian world determine skating champions in pairs (1994) Evgenia Shishkova and Vadim Naumov had been on board the airplane, although U.S. authorities haven’t confirmed these reviews.
Emergency companies function at Gravelly Level, after American Eagle flight 5342 collided with a helicopter whereas approaching Reagan Washington Nationwide Airport and crashed within the Potomac River, in Arlington, Va., Jan. 29, 2025.
Elizabeth Frantz/Reuters
A minimum of 19 plane that had been within the air and as a result of land at Reagan Nationwide Airport needed to be diverted after the mid-air collision, based on Jack Potter, president and CEO of the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority. The diverted flights landed at Dulles Worldwide Airport in Virginia.
The Nationwide Transportation Security Board is main the investigation and the FBI Washington Discipline Workplace stated in a press release that it is sending its Nationwide Capital Response Squad “in help of our legislation enforcement and public security companions.”
Ronald Reagan Washington Nationwide Airport will likely be closed till 11 a.m. Thursday, officers confirmed very first thing within the morning, relatively than the unique estimated reopening time of 5 a.m. Friday,
It is a growing story. Please examine again for updates.
