American Airlines Flight Collides with Helicopter, 67 Dead

A midair collision between a US Army Black Hawk helicopter and an American Airlines regional jet near Reagan Washington National Airport on Wednesday night claimed the lives of all 67 people aboard both aircraft. The incident, now the deadliest US aviation disaster since 2009, has prompted an operational pause for the Army unit involved.

The Black Hawk helicopter, carrying three military personnel, was on a training flight when it collided with American Eagle Flight 5342, a Bombardier CRJ-700 operated by PSA Airlines, a regional subsidiary of American Airlines. The jet, en route from Wichita, Kansas, to Reagan National Airport, carried 60 passengers and four crew members. Both aircraft plummeted into the Potomac River, where recovery efforts are ongoing.

"At this point, we do not believe there were any survivors," said John Donnelly, Fire Chief, Washington DC Fire Department. He also confirmed that 28 bodies have been recovered, with rescue operations now focused on recovery due to freezing water temperatures.

"Everything was routine up to the point of the accident. Something went wrong," Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin, who noted that most victims have been located.

Air traffic control communications reveal that controllers warned the Black Hawk crew of the approaching jet. "PAT25, do you have a CRJ in sight? PAT25, pass behind the CRJ," an air traffic controller was heard saying. Moments later, another aircraft radioed, "Tower, did you see that?" Witnesses reported seeing a fireball before both aircraft disappeared into the river.

"Everything was standard in the lead-up to the crash. Do I think this was preventable? Absolutely," said Sean Duffy, Secretary of Transportation, US Department of Transportation. President Donald Trump also commented on the incident, questioning why air traffic controllers did not issue more direct instructions to the helicopter. "This is a bad situation that looks like it should have been prevented," he wrote on Truth Social.

Among the victims were Russian-born former world champion figure skaters Yevgenia Shishkova and Vadim Naumov, who were traveling with a group of skaters and coaches. "We have been told that there are no survivors. We mourn with all those who have been impacted," said Lily Wi, Mayor, Wichita.

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) is leading the investigation, with American Airlines confirming its full cooperation. CBS News reported that one of the jet’s black boxes has been recovered by a dive team. The congested airspace around Washington, DC, has long been a safety concern, with Reagan National Airport experiencing multiple near-miss incidents, including one in May 2024.

Pentagon officials confirmed that the Black Hawk was being flown by an experienced crew using night-vision goggles for annual proficiency training. "The crew was fairly experienced, and this was a standard training flight," said Pete Hegseth, Secretary of Defense, US Department of Defense.

This tragedy is the deadliest US aviation disaster since the 2009 Colgan Air crash, which claimed 49 lives. The last fatal accident at Reagan National Airport occurred in 1982, when an Air Florida Boeing 737 crashed into the Potomac River, killing 78 people.