American Airlines jet collides with military helicopter near D.C. airport


Dozens of people were killed when an American Airlines regional jet with 64 people aboard collided with a Black Hawk military helicopter moments before the airplane was set to land at Washington D.C.’s Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport on Wednesday night, officials said. The accident is the worst air disaster in the U.S. in more than two decades.
Hundreds of first responders have switched to a recovery operation from rescue efforts, Washington D.C.’s Fire and EMS Chief John Donnelly said in a press conference on Thursday. Donnelly said 27 bodies have been recovered so far.
Sixty passengers and four crew members were on board the American flight. Three people were on board the military helicopter, an official said.
Part of the wreckage is seen as rescue boats search the waters of the Potomac River after a plane on approach to Reagan National Airport crashed into the river outside Washington, DC, on January 30, 2025.
Andrew Caballero-Reynolds | Afp | Getty Images
American Eagle Flight 5342, a PSA Airlines Bombardier CRJ700 regional jetliner, was on approach into the airport’s Runway 33 when it collided with a Sikorsky H-60 helicopter at around 9 p.m. ET, the FAA said. The flight was arriving from Wichita, Kansas and flying at an altitude of about 300 feet at the time of the collision, according to FlightRadar24.
PSA Airlines is an American Airlines subsidiary and one of its regional carriers. American Eagle is how the airline brands its regional flights.
Both aircraft were in the icy waters of the Potomac River. The American aircraft was located and broken into at least three sections.
American Airlines CEO Robert Isom traveled to Washington, D.C., Wednesday night.
Rescuers on boats work as the sun rises at the site of the crash in the Potomac River after a Black Hawk helicopter and an American Eagle flight 5342 approaching Reagan Washington National Airport collided and crashed outside Washington, U.S., January 30, 2025.
Kevin Lamarque | Reuters
“Our concern is for the passengers and crew on board the aircraft,” American said in a statement. “We are in contact with authorities and assisting with emergency response efforts.”
The airline provided contact information if “you believe you may have loved ones on board Flight 5342.”
American and Russian figure skaters were on board the flight, according to the countries’ official groups.
Reagan Washington National was closed Wednesday night and was expected to open at 11 a.m. ET Thursday. Officials said airlines would communicate any schedule changes to passengers.
An information screen in Reagan National Airport’s empty baggage claim area displays emergency instructions after a plane crashed into the Potomac River outside Washington, DC, Jan. 29, 2025.
Ulysse Bellier | AFP | Getty Images
The airport says its main runway is the busiest in the country.
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, who was sworn in on Tuesday, in a press conference said that he thought the accident was preventable.
The U.S. has had a long stretch without fatal commercial passenger airline crashes. The last U.S. commercial passenger airline crash occurred in February 2009 when Continental Flight 3407 crashed into a house as it was arriving in Buffalo, New York, killing all 49 people aboard and one person on the ground.
A helicopter flies near the crash site of the American Airlines plane on the Potomac River after the plane crashed on approach to Reagan National Airport on January 30, 2025 in Arlington, Virginia.
Andrew Harnik | Getty Images
The crash of that turboprop plane prompted federal regulations requiring more rest and training for pilots.
The FAA and National Transportation Safety Board are investigating Wednesday’s incident.
President Donald Trump said he was briefed on the accident Wednesday.
“Thank you for the incredible work being done by our first responders,” he said in a statement.
Emergency personnel work near the site of the crash, with the U.S. Capitol in the background, after American Eagle flight 5342 collided with a Black Hawk helicopter while approaching Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport and crashed in the Potomac River, U.S. January 30, 2025.
Nathan Howard | Reuters
The Federal Aviation Administration does not have a permanent head. Former Administrator Mike Whitaker stepped down on Jan. 20, when Trump took office. Trump hasn’t yet named a nominee.
“We are shocked and saddened by the tragic accident at DCA tonight,” said the Air Line Pilots Association, a pilot union. “Our thoughts are with those affected by this tragedy and ALPA’s accident investigation team is responding to assist the National Transportation Safety Board in their investigation.”
This story is developing. Please check back for updates.
Correction: A previous headline on this story has been updated to correct a typographical error.