A regional jet operated by American Airlines’ subsidiary, PSA Airlines, collided with a Black Hawk military helicopter near Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport on Wednesday night, according to the Federal Aviation Administration.
The Bombardier CRJ700 aircraft, carrying 60 passengers and four crew members, was approaching Runway 33 around 9 p.m. ET when it struck a Sikorsky H-60 helicopter. The flight, designated as 5342, had departed from Wichita, Kansas.
Local media reports said that at least 30 bodies were recovered from the Potomac River during rescue operations. Authorities are trying to rescue the rest of the passengers. However, the death toll is likely to rise.
“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 helicopter had a crew of three and was not carrying any VIPs, according to a U.S. defense official.
U.S. President Donald Trump said early Thursday morning that the midair collision was a “bad situation that looks like it should have been prevented.”
“The airplane was on a perfect and routine line of approach to the airport. The helicopter was going straight at the airplane for an extended period of time. It is a CLEAR NIGHT, the lights on the plane were blazing, why didn’t the helicopter go up or down, or turn. Why didn’t the control tower tell the helicopter what to do instead of asking if they saw the plane,” Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform.
Senior Army officials frequently use Black Hawks for travel in the Washington, D.C., area. The Army confirmed that the helicopter originated from Fort Belvoir, an Army post in Virginia.
U.S. Vice President JD Vance addressed the midair collision Wednesday night, urging the nation to unite in prayer as the administration closely monitors the situation.
DC Mayor Muriel Bowser confirmed early Thursday that “both aircraft are in the water.”
“The focus now is rescuing people, and that’s what all of our personnel are focused on,” Bowser added.
As the rescue operations continue, DC’s Fire and EMS Chief John A. Donnelly Sr. said that conditions are “dangerous.”
“The challenges are access. The water that we’re operating in is about 8 feet deep, there is wind, there is pieces of ice out there so it’s just dangerous and hard to work in,” Donnelly said. “The water is dark, it is murky, and that is a very tough condition for them to dive in.”
This is a developing story.
