Passenger Jet Collides with Army Helicopter Near Reagan Airport, Multiple Fatalities Reported
An American Airlines jet carrying 64 passengers and four crew members collided with an Army helicopter while landing at Ronald Reagan National Airport near Washington, D.C., prompting an extensive search-and-rescue operation in the nearby Potomac River. According to reports, there were multiple fatalities, but the exact number remains unclear as rescue teams continue searching for survivors.
Midair Collision Near Washington, D.C.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) stated that the accident occurred before 9 p.m. EST when a regional jet from Wichita, Kansas, on final approach to the airport, collided midair with a military helicopter on a training flight. The crash took place in one of the most highly controlled airspaces in the world, just three miles from the White House and the U.S. Capitol.
🚨Breaking News
— #TheFreeHawaiian (@free_hawaiian) January 30, 2025
Close-up of crash.
This does not look like an accident to me. The helicopter appears to fly horizontally directly into the plane. There does not appear to be any vertical movement by the helicopter. #AmericanAirlines #Blackhawk #planecrash pic.twitter.com/4kzZsMeT2N
Search and Recovery Efforts Underway
Following the impact, all takeoffs and landings at Reagan Airport were halted. Rescue teams, including dive squads and helicopters from law enforcement agencies, were deployed to search for survivors. Images from the crash site show boats surrounding the partially submerged wing and what appears to be mangled wreckage of the fuselage.
D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser stated, “We are going to recover our fellow citizens,” but did not confirm the number of bodies found.
Casualties and Passenger Information
Among the passengers onboard, a group of figure skaters, their coaches, and family members were returning from a development camp following the U.S. Figure Skating Championships in Wichita.
In a statement, U.S. Figure Skating expressed their grief: