SIXTY-SEVEN (67) People Feared Dead After American Airlines Plane Collides With Blackhawk Helicopter In Midair

A total of sixty-seven (67) people are feared dead after an American Airlines plane carrying sixty (60) passengers and four (4) crew members collided in midair with a U.S. Army Black Hawk helicopter carrying three (3) people. The horrific crash occurred near Reagan Washington National Airport in Washington, DC, shortly before 9:00 PM EST last night (Wednesday 29th January, 2025).

The two (2) aircraft crashed into the Potomac River, where a rescue operation has turned into a major recovery effort, with dozens of bodies pulled from the water so far.

American Airlines Flight 5342 was arriving from Wichita, Kansas, parent company American Airlines said. Washington Mayor Muriel Bowser confirmed the U.S. Army Black Hawk helicopter involved was carrying three (3) people.

American figure skaters, coaches and family members who had been at camp in Wichita were among the passenger jet passengers, according to U.S. Figure Skating.

Russian State media confirmed that Russian figure skaters and coaches were also onboard.

The deadly midair collision on Wednesday night appears to have been caught on camera. Footage shows a bright, fiery explosion as the two (2) objects collide.

The chopper had been engaged in a "training mission" at the time of the collision, Ron McLendon II, Deputy Director, JTF-NCR/USAMDW Public Affairs noted.

“While performing a training mission, a United States Army UH-60 Blackhawk helicopter from Bravo Company, 12th Aviation Battalion, Davison Army Airfield, Fort Belvoir, Va., collided in midair with an American Airlines Bombardier CRJ700 regional jet, Flight 5342, last night at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport,” McLendon noted. “The FAA, NTSB and the United States Army will investigate. The NTSB will lead the investigation. We are working with local officials and will provide any additional information once it becomes available.”

Despite a mammoth search-and-rescue operation, Fire and EMS Chief John A. Donnelly said during a Press Conference early this morning (Thursday 30th January, 2025) that there were not believed to be any survivors from the midair collision over the Potomac River. “We are now at a point where we are switching from a rescue operation to a recovery operation,” Donnelly said. “At this point, we don’t believe there are any survivors from this accident.”

At least twenty-eight (28) bodies have been pulled from the water, he said. Of those, twenty-seven (27) were from the American Airlines civilian jet and one (1) from the U.S. Black Hawk helicopter, Donnelly said. Multiple medical examiner offices are working on identifying the victims, with the D.C. Office of the Chief Medical Examiner leading the efforts to reunite the bodies with loved ones.

“We will continue to work to find all the bodies and collect them and reunite them with their loved ones,” Donnelly said.

U.S. President Donald Trump commented on the crash on Truth Social.

“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. This is a bad situation that looks like it should have been prevented. NOT GOOD!!!" Trump declared in a post shared shortly after Midnight.

“What a terrible night this has been. God bless you all!” he added in another post.

Investigations are continuing.

More on this as it becomes available.

This is a developing story - refresh this page for updates.

​[Source: NBC News]