An American Airlines plane carrying 64 people collided with a US Army Black Hawk helicopter as it approached Washington’s Ronald Reagan National Airport on Wednesday, the 29th of January. Officials said the plane went down in the Potomac River and a search for survivors is underway, reports the BBC.
According to the airline, at about 21:00 local time, a Bombardier CRJ700 regional jet carrying 60 passengers and four crew members flying from Wichita, Kansas, collided with a helicopter as it approached the runway.
The Black Hawk military helicopter was carrying three US Army soldiers, a defence official said.
Emergency services have confirmed that American Airlines Flight 5342, which was involved in the crash near Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport was carrying 64 individuals, including four crew members. The exact number of personnel aboard the PAT-designated UH-60 Black Hawk… pic.twitter.com/Px9FMVHsRx
— GMI (@Global_Mil_Info) January 30, 2025
US media report that the crashed aircraft has broken in two in the Potomac River and rescuers are searching for people. About 300 rescue personnel are working in “rescue mode”, with police divers and boats searching for survivors in the windy and dark conditions.
Several bodies have reportedly been recovered, but no official casualty figures are yet available.
Washington DC Mayor Muriel Bowser confirmed early on Thursday morning that “both aircraft are in the water” and that 64 people were on board the American Airlines plane and three people were on board the military helicopter.
US President Donald Trump said he was “fully aware of this terrible accident” and in a statement thanked the emergency services for the “incredible job” they were doing.
In a post on Truth Social, Trump questioned why the helicopter had not avoided the plane, which was on its usual approach to the airport, pointing out that it was a clear night and the plane had bright lights.
“This is a bad situation that should have been avoided, it seems. NOT GOOD!!!” he said.
The airport has suspended planes from taking off and landing while emergency personnel respond to the incident, the airport said in a post on X. Planes en route to Reagan Airport at the time of the crash were diverted to nearby Dulles International Airport.
Officials are bracing for what could be the deadliest crash in Washington in decades, according to the source, since an Air Florida flight crashed into the 14th Street Bridge in 1982.