A mid-air collision between an American Airlines regional jet and a U.S. Army helicopter occurred Wednesday evening near Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, resulting in multiple fatalities.
American Eagle Flight 5342, operated by PSA Airlines with a CRJ-700, was en route from Wichita to Reagan National Airport (DCA) carrying 60 passengers and four crew members. The Sikorsky H-60 Blackhawk helicopter, based at Fort Belvoir, Virginia, was on a training flight with three people aboard.
Preliminary findings from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) indicate the collision happened around 9 p.m. (EST) as the plane approached Runway 33. Air traffic control audio reveals controllers cleared the plane to land on the shorter Runway 33 after pilots confirmed they could accommodate the change. Shortly before the crash, the controller asked the helicopter if it had the plane in sight and then instructed it to pass behind the CRJ. Seconds later, the collision occurred. The plane’s transponder stopped transmitting near the middle of the Potomac River, short of the runway. Video footage appears to show the two aircraft colliding in a fireball.
Among those on board the plane were members of the U.S. figure skating community returning from a development camp in Wichita, including Russian figure skaters Evgenia Shishkova and Vadim Naumov. U.S. Figure Skating expressed their devastation at the tragedy.
Data suggests the plane was at an altitude of approximately 400 feet and traveling at 140 mph when it experienced a rapid loss of altitude. The Canadian-made CRJ-701, built in 2004, can carry up to 70 passengers.
The U.S. Army confirmed the helicopter’s involvement and stated it was from Bravo Company, 12th Aviation Battalion, Davison Army Airfield, Fort Belvoir. The FAA, National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), and the U.S. Army will conduct investigations, with the NTSB taking the lead.
Newly appointed Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy both stated they are closely monitoring the situation and that investigations have been launched.
This crash marks the first fatal accident involving a U.S. commercial airline since 2009, when a plane crashed near Buffalo, New York, killing all 50 people on board and one person on the ground.
