
Emergency service automobiles stand close to the positioning of the crash after American Eagle flight 5342 collided with a helicopter whereas approaching Reagan Washington Nationwide Airport and crashed within the Potomac River, outdoors Washington, D.C., Jan. 29. Reuters-Yonhap
A passenger jet collided Wednesday with an Military helicopter whereas touchdown at Ronald Reagan Nationwide Airport close to Washington, prompting a big search-and-rescue operation within the close by Potomac River.
There was no instant phrase on casualties or the reason for the collision, however all takeoffs and landings from the airport close to Washington had been halted as helicopters from legislation enforcement businesses throughout the area flew over the scene looking for survivors. Inflatable rescue boats had been launched into the Potomac River from some extent close to the airport alongside the George Washington Parkway, simply north of the airport.
President Donald Trump was briefed, his press secretary mentioned, and Vice President JD Vance inspired followers on the social media platform X to “say a prayer for everybody concerned.”
The Federal Aviation Administration mentioned the midair crash occurred round 9 p.m. EST when a regional jet that had departed from Wichita, Kansas, collided with a army Blackhawk helicopter whereas on method to an airport runway. It occurred in among the most tightly managed and monitored airspace on the earth, simply over three miles south of the White Home and the Capitol.
Investigators will attempt to piece collectively the aircrafts‘ closing moments earlier than their collision, together with contact with air site visitors controllers in addition to a lack of altitude by the passenger jet.
American Airways flight 5342 was inbound to Reagan Nationwide at an altitude of about 400 toes and a pace of about 140 miles per hour when it suffered a fast lack of altitude over the Potomac River, based on information from its radio transponder. The Canadian-made Bombardier CRJ-701 twin-engine jet was manufactured in 2004 and may be configured to hold as much as 70 passengers.
A couple of minutes earlier than touchdown, air site visitors controllers requested the coming business jet if it may land on the shorter Runway 33 at Reagan Nationwide and the pilots mentioned they had been ready. Controllers then cleared the airplane to land on Runway 33. Flight monitoring websites confirmed the airplane regulate its method to the brand new runway.
In audio from the air site visitors management tower across the time of the crash, a controller is heard asking the helicopter, “PAT25 do you’ve got the CRJ in sight,” in reference to the passenger plane.
“Tower did you see that?” one other pilot is heard calling seconds after the obvious collision.

A helicopter hovers above the Potomac River close to Reagan Nationwide Airport trying to find survivors of an air crash as seen from Daingerfield, Alexandria, Va., Jan. 29. AFP-Yonhap
The tower instantly started diverting different plane from Reagan.
Video from an statement digicam on the close by Kennedy Heart confirmed two units of lights per plane showing to hitch in a fireball.
In a publish on social media, American Airways mentioned it was conscious of studies that certainly one of its flights was concerned within the incident and mentioned it might present extra data as soon as accessible.
The crash is serving as a significant check for 2 of the Trump administration’s latest company leaders. Pete Hegseth, sworn in days in the past as protection secretary, posted on social media that his division was “actively monitoring” the state of affairs that concerned an Military helicopter. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, simply sworn in earlier this week, mentioned in a social media publish that he was “on the FAA HQ and carefully monitoring the state of affairs.”
Reagan Nationwide is situated alongside the Potomac River, simply southwest of town. It’s a preferred alternative as a result of it’s a lot nearer than the bigger Dulles Worldwide Airport, which is deeper in Virginia.
Relying on the runway getting used, flights into Reagan can provide passengers spectacular views of landmarks just like the Washington Monument, the Lincoln Memorial, the Nationwide Mall and the U.S. Capitol. It’s a postcard-worthy welcome for vacationers visiting town.
The incident recalled the crash of an Air Florida flight that plummeted into the Potomac on January 13, 1982, that killed 78 individuals. That crash was attributed to unhealthy climate.
The final deadly crash involving a U.S. business airline occured in 2009 close to Buffalo, New York. Everybody aboard the Bombardier DHC-8 propeller airplane was killed, together with 45 passengers, 2 pilots and a pair of flight attendants. One other individual on the bottom additionally died, bringing the full demise toll to 50. An investigation decided that the captain by accident brought about the airplane to stall because it approached the airport in Buffalo. (AP)