A tragic accident occurred Wednesday night as a regional jet carrying 60 passengers and four crew members collided with an Army helicopter while nearing Ronald Reagan National Airport, situated near Washington, D.C. Sadly, both aircraft descended into the Potomac River, resulting in the loss of all lives on board.
The incident took place around 9 p.m. in one of the most heavily regulated airspaces globally, located just over three miles south of the White House and the U.S. Capitol. An extensive search-and-rescue operation was swiftly initiated but transitioned into recovery efforts by Thursday morning.
Details have emerged surrounding the crash. The regional jet, flying from Wichita, Kansas, was preparing to land when it encountered the military helicopter engaged in a training exercise, as reported by the Federal Aviation Administration. Just minutes prior to landing, air traffic controllers requested American Airlines Flight 5342 to approach a shorter runway, to which the pilots acquiesced. They received clearance to land, adjusting their course accordingly.
Less than 30 seconds before the collision, an air traffic controller inquired if the helicopter had visual contact with the approaching plane. Shortly afterward, the controller instructed the helicopter to allow the jet to pass. Unfortunately, there was no response from the helicopter, and mere moments later, the crash occurred. The plane’s transponder ceased transmission approximately 2,400 feet short of the runway over the Potomac River. The wreckage of the aircraft was discovered upside-down in shallow water, with the helicopter debris located nearby.
In the wake of this disaster, federal investigators are working to reconstruct the sequence of events leading up to the collision, including communications between the two aircraft and air traffic controllers, as well as actions taken by the pilots. Prominent figures like President Trump and Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy expressed the belief that the tragedy might have been preventable.
During a press briefing, President Trump confirmed the absence of survivors and emphasized the ongoing investigation by military officials and the National Transportation Safety Board. While he pointed fingers at air traffic controllers and the helicopter pilots, he later acknowledged there was no direct evidence linking them to the crash. Nonetheless, he stated, “We’ll find out how this disaster occurred and will ensure that nothing like this ever happens again.”
The incident marks the deadliest air disaster in the U.S. in almost 24 years, with at least 28 bodies recovered from the frigid waters. Among the casualties were members of the Skating Club of Boston returning from the 2025 U.S. Figure Skating Championships. The group included young athletes Jinna Han and Spencer Lane along with their mothers and two esteemed coaches, Evgenia Shishkova and Vadim Naumov, who had previously won a world championship in pairs skating. Reports indicated that additional passengers from Russia were also aboard, as confirmed by the Kremlin.
The three military personnel on the helicopter were conducting an annual night training flight and were reported to be a relatively seasoned crew; however, their names have not yet been released as officials are notifying their families.
Reagan National Airport, located by the Potomac and a preferred terminal due to its proximity to downtown Washington, suspended all flights following the crash but reopened Thursday morning. Transportation Secretary Duffy stated that weather conditions were clear on the night of the incident and noted that the flight paths of both aircraft were typical for the area.
In recent months, concerns have grown regarding an uptick in near-collisions within U.S. airspace. Just six weeks prior, a near-miss incident took place at Reagan National Airport, highlighting an intensifying pattern of safety issues.
The helicopter involved was identified as a UH-60 Blackhawk, stationed at Fort Belvoir in Virginia, while the regional jet was a Bombardier CRJ-701 manufactured in 2004, capable of carrying up to 70 passengers.
Fatal accidents involving commercial flights in the U.S. are exceedingly rare. The last major incident occurred in 2009 near Buffalo, New York, resulting in the death of all 45 passengers and 4 crew members on board when their plane crashed into a residence. Another significant crash happened in 2001 when an American Airlines flight went down shortly after takeoff from Kennedy Airport, claiming 260 lives. The recent collision carries echoes of the Air Florida tragedy that struck the Potomac River in January 1982, over which severe weather conditions were blamed.
