Passenger Jet with 64 Aboard Collides with Army Helicopter While Landing at Reagan Airport Near DC
A passenger jet collided with a helicopter while landing at Ronald Reagan National Airport on Wednesday evening, prompting a large search-and-rescue operation in the nearby Potomac River.
Arlington (US): A passenger jet carrying 60 passengers and four crew members collided on Wednesday evening with an Army helicopter while landing at Ronald Reagan National Airport near Washington, D.C. The crash prompted a large search-and-rescue operation in the nearby Potomac River.
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There was no immediate word on casualties or the cause of the collision, but all takeoffs and landings from the airport have been halted. Helicopters from law enforcement agencies across the region flew over the scene searching for survivors. Inflatable rescue boats were also launched into the Potomac River from a point near the airport, along the George Washington Parkway.
Trump Briefed on the Accident: “May God Bless Their Souls”
President Donald Trump stated that he had been “fully briefed on this terrible accident.” He added, referring to the passengers, “May God Bless their souls.”
Midair Crash Occurs Near the White House
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) reported that the midair crash occurred around 9 pm EST when a regional jet departing from Wichita, Kansas, collided with a military Blackhawk helicopter while approaching the airport runway. The crash took place in one of the most tightly controlled and monitored airspaces in the world, just over three miles south of the White House and the Capitol.
Investigators are now working to piece together the final moments before the collision, including reviewing communications with air traffic controllers and the rapid altitude loss of the passenger jet.
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Details of the Passenger Jet and the Final Moments Before the Crash
American Airlines flight 5342 was inbound to Reagan National at an altitude of about 400 feet and a speed of around 140 miles per hour when it experienced a sudden loss of altitude over the Potomac River, according to data from its radio transponder. The Bombardier CRJ-701 twin-engine jet, manufactured in 2004, can carry up to 70 passengers.
Minutes before landing, air traffic controllers asked the commercial jet if it could land on the shorter Runway 33 at Reagan National. The pilots confirmed they were able to land on that runway, and they were cleared to proceed. Flight tracking sites showed the plane adjusting its approach accordingly.
Less than 30 seconds before the crash, an air traffic controller asked the helicopter if it had the arriving plane in sight. Shortly after, the controller instructed the helicopter to pass behind the commercial jet. The collision occurred mere seconds later. The plane’s radio transponder stopped transmitting about 2,400 feet short of the runway, over the middle of the river.
Diverting Other Aircraft and Early Reactions from Officials
Immediately following the crash, the tower at Reagan National began diverting other aircraft from the airport. Video footage from an observation camera at the nearby Kennedy Center showed two sets of lights consistent with aircraft that seemed to join in a fireball after the collision.
The incident is also serving as a major test for two of the Trump administration’s newest agency leaders. Pete Hegseth, who was recently sworn in as defense secretary, posted on social media that his department was “actively monitoring” the situation. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, who was sworn in earlier this week, stated on social media that he was “at the FAA HQ and closely monitoring the situation.”
Reagan National Airport: A Popular Choice for Travelers
Reagan National is located along the Potomac River, just southwest of Washington, D.C. It is a popular choice for travelers due to its proximity to downtown compared to the larger Dulles International Airport, which is located deeper in Virginia.
Depending on the runway being used, flights into Reagan offer spectacular views of iconic landmarks like the Washington Monument, the Lincoln Memorial, the National Mall, and the U.S. Capitol—offering tourists a postcard-worthy welcome to the city.
Recalling Previous Crashes and Recent Fatalities
The incident has drawn comparisons to the crash of an Air Florida flight that plunged into the Potomac on January 13, 1982, killing 78 people. That crash was attributed to bad weather.
The last fatal crash involving a U.S. commercial airline occurred in 2009 near Buffalo, New York, when a Bombardier DHC-8 propeller plane crashed, killing all 50 people on board, including 45 passengers, two pilots, and two flight attendants. An additional person on the ground also died. Investigations concluded that the crash was caused by the captain’s accidental stall of the aircraft while approaching Buffalo airport.
