An American Airlines plane collided with a US Army UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter near Washington, D.C., before 9 p.m. local time (02:00 GMT) on Wednesday, resulting in multiple fatalities. The crash occurred as the American Airlines regional jet was landing at Ronald Reagan National Airport. The accident took place in some of the most tightly controlled and monitored airspace in the world, just over three miles south of the White House and the Capitol.
American Eagle Flight 5342, which was coming from Wichita, Kansas, was carrying 60 passengers and four crew members, American Airlines said in a statement. Among the passengers were figure skating athletes, coaches and family members who had been at a development camp in Wichita, U.S. Figure Skating informed. The Army helicopter was on a training flight with three soldiers onboard.
The incident prompted a large-scale search and rescue operation in the Potomac River, with authorities confirming several casualties, though the exact number remains unclear. Divers and search teams combed the river and surrounding areas, while first responders faced difficult conditions due to wind and cold temperatures. Rescue teams are racing against time, battling frigid temperatures, strong currents, and darkness as they search for survivors.
The helicopter, based at Fort Belvoir in Virginia, was conducting routine military training flights in the heavily controlled airspace near Washington. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and military authorities have launched investigations to determine the cause of the crash, including reviewing communications between air traffic controllers and the pilots.
American Airlines expressed deep sorrow over the incident, while officials from both the Army and the Department of Transportation pledged full cooperation in the ongoing investigation.
The crash comes nearly 16 years after the last fatal accident involving a U.S. commercial airline, which occurred in 2009 in Buffalo, New York. The incident recalls the 1982 Air Florida crash into the Potomac River, which killed 78 people. Reagan National Airport, located just a few miles from the heart of Washington, D.C., was temporarily closed following the accident but was expected to reopen Thursday morning.
Ronald Reagan Washington national airport, located in Arlington, Virginia, is the closest airport to Washington, D.C., lying less than five miles from the US capital. The airport is popular with many travellers because of its proximity to Washington, D.C. compared to Dulles International Airport, which is located about 23 miles further away.
Photo: The U.S. Capitol behind lights from emergency crews as they respond to the crash site near the Potomac River following the collision. Photographer: Tierney L. Cross/Bloomberg via Getty Images