An American Airlines aircraft, which was carrying 60 passengers along with four crew members, was involved in a tragic collision with an Army helicopter on Wednesday while preparing to land at Ronald Reagan National Airport located near Washington, D.C. Officials reported on Thursday that all individuals on board are presumed to have lost their lives.
Recent years have seen a decline in fatal accidents involving commercial airplanes in the United States. For instance, the most catastrophic crash in recent memory occurred in 2009 in the vicinity of Buffalo, New York, where a Bombardier DHC-8 propeller plane crashed into a residential home, resulting in the deaths of all 45 passengers and four crew members, along with one person on the ground.
The incident on Wednesday involved a collision between a Bombardier CRJ-701 twin-engine jet and a UH-60 Blackhawk helicopter, which took place over the Potomac River, causing the aircraft to plunge into the water. This is not the first unfortunate event in this region, as an Air Florida flight met a similar fate in 1982, crashing into the Potomac and claiming 78 lives.
Historical accounts from the National Transportation Safety Board detail some of the deadliest commercial aviation disasters in the U.S. after the Air Florida accident:
– On February 12, 2009, a Colgan Air aircraft collided near Buffalo, New York, resulting in the deaths of all 49 individuals onboard, including 45 passengers, two pilots, and two flight attendants, while another ground casualty brought the toll to 50.
– On August 27, 2006, a Comair plane tragically crashed during takeoff in Lexington, Kentucky, after it mistakenly utilized an erroneous runway, leading to the loss of two crew members and 47 passengers.
– On November 12, 2001, an American Airlines flight tragically crashed into a residential zone in Belle Harbor, New York, killing all 260 individuals aboard.
– The events of September 11, 2001, marked a shocking moment in history when nearly 3,000 people were killed due to the hijacking of four planes by 19 al-Qaida terrorists, which involved attacks on New York’s World Trade Center, the Pentagon in Arlington, Virginia, and a field in western Pennsylvania. This event remains the deadliest terrorist attack in history.
– On January 31, 2000, an Alaska Airlines flight crashed into the Pacific Ocean close to Anacapa Island, California, claiming the lives of 83 passengers and five crew members.
– A Trans World Airlines flight crashed in the Atlantic Ocean near East Moriches, New York, on July 17, 1996, while en route to Paris, France, resulting in the death of all 230 passengers.
– On May 11, 1996, a Valujet Airlines plane tragically went down in the Everglades shortly after taking off from Miami International Airport, causing the deaths of all on board—105 passengers and five crew members.
– An American Eagle flight tragically crashed in Roselawn, Indiana, on October 31, 1994, resulting in the deaths of 64 passengers and four crew members.
– A USAir flight met its end on September 8, 1994, during its landing attempt in Pittsburgh, killing 127 passengers and five crew members, obliterating the aircraft.
– On July 19, 1989, a United Airlines flight encountered engine failure and crashed while landing in Sioux City, Iowa, resulting in the tragic loss of 110 passengers and one crew member.
– A Northwest Airlines flight crashed shortly after lifting off from Romulus, Michigan, on August 16, 1987, hitting light poles and a rental car facility, claiming 148 passengers and six crew members.
– On August 2, 1985, a Delta Air Lines flight crashed while approaching the Dallas Fort Worth International Airport amidst a thunderstorm, causing 134 fatalities.
– A tragic crash involving a Pan American World Airways flight occurred on July 9, 1982, just after takeoff near New Orleans, Louisiana, leading to the deaths of 145 people.
– Lastly, on January 13, 1982, an Air Florida flight plunged into the Potomac River due to severe weather conditions, resulting in the deaths of 70 passengers and four crew members.
