A commercial passenger jet and a military helicopter collided in midair near Reagan National Airport in Washington, D.C. on Wednesday, January 29, 2025, plunging into the Potomac River in what officials are calling the deadliest U.S. aviation disaster in over 20 years.
American Eagle Flight 5342, a Bombardier CRJ700 regional jet carrying 60 passengers and four crew members from Wichita, Kansas, collided with a U.S. Army Black Hawk helicopter from B Company, 12th Aviation Battalion at Fort Belvoir, Virginia. The collision occurred around 9 p.m. as the commercial flight approached Reagan National Airport. The helicopter was conducting a routine training operation in the restricted airspace when it crossed paths with the descending jet.
American Airlines CEO Robert Isom confirmed the flight was operated by PSA Airlines, a wholly owned subsidiary of American Airlines. “I’d like to express our deep sorrow about these events. This is a difficult day for all of us at American Airlines, and our efforts now are focused entirely on the needs of our passengers, crew members, partners, first responders, along with their families and loved ones,” Isom said. The airline has activated its care team and established a special helpline (1-800-679-8215) for friends and family of those aboard Flight 5342.
“This is a terrible tragedy that will unite those in Washington, D.C. and Wichita, Kansas,” said Wichita Mayor Lily Wu, reflecting on the crash of the flight that originated from her city. She urged the community to come together in support of the victims’ families, emphasizing the need to honor those lost in the tragedy. On Thursday morning, Wu acknowledged that the city had not yet received the official flight manifest and could not confirm how many victims were from Kansas. “Our hearts are heavy as a city,” she added.
Emergency response teams battled freezing temperatures and icy conditions overnight to recover victims from the Potomac River. As of the morning of January 30, authorities had recovered 28 bodies, with the aircraft fuselage found inverted in waist-deep water and the helicopter wreckage located nearby.
Officials have determined there are no survivors. Among the victims were several members of the U.S. Figure Skating community, including coaches, young athletes, and their family members returning from the National Development Camp in Wichita. World champion skaters Vadim Naumov and Evgenia Shishkova, both Russian nationals, were confirmed among the passengers, along with Ashburn, Virginia-based coach Inna Volyanskaya, and two teenage skaters from Boston traveling with their mothers.
The collision was captured on a livestream camera at the nearby Kennedy Center, providing investigators with crucial visual evidence. Preliminary flight data suggests that Flight 5342 descended at approximately 400 feet altitude and traveled at 140 miles per hour when it suddenly lost altitude over the Potomac. Moments before the crash, air traffic control audio recorded a controller asking the helicopter, “PAT25 do you have the CRJ in sight,” followed shortly by another pilot exclaiming, “Tower did you see that?”
The airspace over Washington, D.C., is among the most tightly controlled in the world, with hundreds of civilian and military flights operating daily. Aviation experts note that the intersection of military and commercial traffic in such a confined space presents significant challenges.
D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser addressed the tragedy, stating, “How very sad we are for American Airlines, for the United States Department of Defense, and for all Americans for the loss of life that happened with the collision of these aircraft.”
The Army unit involved has suspended operations for 48 hours while the Defense Department conducts an internal review. Reagan National Airport was shut down immediately after the crash but reopened at 11 a.m. on January 30.
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), and U.S. Army have launched a joint investigation into the cause of the disaster. The inquiry will focus on air traffic control protocols, weather conditions, and onboard safety systems.
The New York Times reported Thursday that an internal report indicated that the controller working on the night of the crash was managing responsibilities typically assigned to two individuals. The controller responsible for managing helicopter traffic near the airport was also overseeing the landing and departure of planes on the runways—tasks that are usually divided between two separate controllers. Usually, a single air traffic controller oversees both helicopter and airplane operations after 9:30 p.m., when traffic at Reagan National Airport decreases. However, on Wednesday, a supervisor merged these responsibilities earlier in the evening, before 9:30 p.m., allowing one controller to end their shift early, according to a source familiar with the matter who is not authorized to discuss the crash investigation publicly.
The crash represents the first fatal commercial plane accident in the United States since 2009. It has intensified discussions over whether Reagan National’s high traffic volume and complex airspace demand immediate regulatory changes. Investigators are working to recover and analyze the second black box data recorder, which could provide additional insights into the final moments before impact.
Authorities have yet to announce an official list of victims, but on Thursday, families and friends started sharing confirmations of some deaths through interviews and social media.