American Airlines Flight Collides With U.S. Army Black Hawk Helicopter Near DC Airport

All flights were halted at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA) just outside Washington, D.C. on Wednesday night after a commercial aircraft and a U.S. Army Black Hawk helicopter collided midair and crashed into the Potomac River.

Officials said in a press conference on Thursday morning that they expect no survivors. At least 28 bodies have reportedly been recovered from the Potomac River.

“We are switching from a rescue operation to a recovery operation,” Washington D.C. Fire and EMS Chief John Donnelly said on Thursday morning. “At this point I don’t believe we are going to find any survivors.”

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) issued a statement identifying the passenger plane as American Airlines Flight 5342, which departed from Wichita, Kansas.

According to American Airlines, there were 60 passengers and four crew members on the American Eagle regional jet. The military helicopter had three people on board.

Following the crash, the airport halted all takeoffs and landings as emergency personnel arrived on the scene. Recovery operations are underway. The collision occurred around 8:48 pm local time under clear skies.

Multiple American figure skaters and coaches who were returning from a training camp in Wichita were reportedly on the passenger plane. Two Russian world champions were also on board, according to Russian state media.

“These athletes, coaches, and family members were returning home from the National Development Camp held in conjunction with the U.S. Figure Skating Championships,” U.S. Figure Skating said in a statement. “We are devastated by this unspeakable tragedy and hold the victims’ families closely in our hearts.”

Video captured by EarthCam and its affiliate, The Kennedy Center, captured the moment that the plane collided with the helicopter.

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President Donald Trump released a statement following the crash: “I have been fully briefed on the terrible accident which just took place at Reagan National Airport. May God Bless their souls. Thank you for the incredible work being done by our first responders. I am monitoring the situation and will provide more details as they arise.”

Trump later posted 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!!!”

Video from the incident showed a large presence of first responders on scene.

#Breaking DC Fire and EMS confirms a small aircraft is down in the Potomac River in the vicinity of Reagan National Airport. Fireboats on scene. All takeoffs and landings have been halted at DCA. Emergency personnel are responding to an aircraft incident on the airfield. The… pic.twitter.com/aGisrUj6ug

— Allison Papson (@AllisonPapson) January 30, 2025

NBC News reports that a senior FBI official said “there is no indication of any criminality or terrorism in the crash.”

This article has been updated.