Plane Carrying Over 60 Collides with Helicopter Near Washington D.C.
An American Airlines regional passenger plane and a U.S. Army Black Hawk helicopter collided midair near Reagan Washington National Airport on Wednesday night, crashing into the Potomac River, officials reported.
American Airlines confirmed that 64 people were on board the plane, including 60 passengers and four crew members. A U.S. official stated that three soldiers were on board the helicopter.
The U.S. Army released a statement confirming the involvement of an Army UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter from Fort Belvoir, Virginia. “We are working with local officials and will provide additional information once it becomes available,” the statement read.
At least 18 bodies have been recovered from the crash site, according to sources cited by CBS News. A massive search and rescue operation is underway, with divers braving the frigid waters of the Potomac.
President Donald Trump said in a statement that he has been “fully briefed on the terrible accident” and is “monitoring the situation.” Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth posted on social media that the Pentagon is “actively monitoring” the situation and stands “poised to assist if needed.”
U.S. Senator Roger Marshall of Kansas described the collision as “nothing short of a nightmare.” American Airlines’ CEO expressed “deep sorrow” in a video statement.
The Federal Aviation Administration ordered the grounding of all flights at Reagan National Airport. Washington D.C. police announced that “multiple agencies” are responding to the crash site on the Potomac River.
Kristi Noem, the newly appointed Secretary of Homeland Security, stated that she is “deploying every available U.S. Coast Guard resource for search and rescue efforts in this horrific incident.”
Rescue efforts are complicated by darkness and near-freezing temperatures. Fire boats and emergency crews are on the scene, with dozens of fire trucks reported heading toward the airport.
Investigations are expected to focus on how a passenger plane equipped with modern collision-avoidance technology could collide with a military aircraft over the nation’s capital.
The airspace around Washington D.C. is notoriously busy, with commercial flights and helicopters frequently operating in close proximity.
This tragic incident echoes a previous disaster in January 1982, when Air Florida Flight 90 crashed into the Potomac River shortly after takeoff from the same airport, killing 78 people. That crash was attributed to pilot error and insufficient de-icing procedures.
The last major fatal U.S. air crash occurred in 2009, when Continental Flight 3407 crashed near Buffalo, New York, resulting in the deaths of all 49 people on board.
Authorities urge the public to avoid the area as rescue and recovery operations continue.
