Disaster struck in the skies over Washington, D.C. An American Airlines jet collided midair with a U.S. Army helicopter. Authorities fear everyone on board is dead. This could be the deadliest U.S. aviation accident in nearly 25 years.
Bodies pulled from the icy Potomac
Rescue crews worked through the night. They recovered at least 28 bodies from the freezing Potomac River. The helicopter, carrying three soldiers, flew directly into the jet’s path. The plane, with 60 passengers and four crew members, was landing at Ronald Reagan National Airport.
No survivors expected
“We don’t believe there are any survivors,” said Fire Chief John Donnelly. Rescue teams have now shifted to recovery mode. The wreckage was found in three pieces, upside-down in waist-deep water. Debris spread as far as the Woodrow Wilson Bridge, three miles south of the airport.
What went wrong?
Investigators remain baffled. Flight conditions were clear. The jet, arriving from Wichita, Kansas, was on a routine landing approach. “It collided with a military aircraft on an otherwise normal approach,” said American Airlines CEO Robert Isom. The cause remains unknown.
President Trump to address nation
President Donald Trump planned to speak on the tragedy later Thursday. His social media post suggested the accident was preventable. “From what I’ve seen so far, do I think this was preventable? Absolutely,” said Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy.
Shattered airport, stunned passengers
At Reagan National, a heavy silence filled the terminal. Stranded passengers stared out at the river, watching the grim recovery operation. Aster Andemicael, at the airport with her elderly father, was shaken. “I’ve been crying since yesterday,” she said. She recalled a frantic young woman running through the terminal, likely searching for a loved one who would never return.
Investigation underway
Investigators are piecing together the jet’s final moments. “Everyone expects safe flights,” said Duffy. “That didn’t happen last night, and we will not rest until we have answers.” The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) announced Reagan Airport would reopen at 11 a.m. Thursday.
Was the airspace safe?
Duffy, sworn in just days ago, insisted U.S. airspace remains the world’s safest. However, early indicators point to a tragic miscalculation. Both aircraft followed standard flight patterns. Communication with the control tower appeared normal.
Skating stars among victims
The doomed flight carried a group of figure skaters returning from a training camp. U.S. Figure Skating mourned the loss, calling it an “unspeakable tragedy.” Among the victims were Russian skating legends Evgenia Shishkova and Vadim Naumov, coaches at the Skating Club of Boston. “They are like family to us,” said Club CEO Doug Zeghibe.
A fiery end caught on camera
Surveillance footage from the Kennedy Center captured a terrifying sight. Two sets of lights merged into a fireball over the Potomac. The jet, a Bombardier CRJ-701, was just 2,400 feet from the runway when its transponder went silent. The last radio call instructed the helicopter to pass behind the jet. Moments later, disaster struck.
Worst crash since 2001?
If all 64 aboard perished, this would be the deadliest U.S. airline crash since 2001. That year, an American Airlines jet crashed in New York, killing 260 people. The last fatal U.S. commercial airline crash occurred in 2009 near Buffalo, claiming 50 lives.
Military helicopter involved
The Army helicopter, a UH-60 Blackhawk from Fort Belvoir, frequently flew training missions in the area. The Pentagon remained silent Thursday morning, but Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth was expected to brief reporters later in the day.
Authorities are determined to uncover what went wrong. How did a military helicopter end up in the jet’s path? Why did air traffic controllers not intervene? The investigation is just beginning, but for the victims’ families, the pain is only starting.
