An American Airlines regional jet was involved in a mid-air collision with a U. S. Army Black Hawk helicopter near Reagan Washington National Airport on Wednesday night, officials have confirmed.
Senator Ted Cruz of Texas expressed on social media, “we know there are fatalities,” although he did not clarify how many.
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🚨 #BREAKING: A plane has crashed into a helicopter while landing at Reagan National Airport near Washington, DC
Fatalities have been reported, a MASSIVE search & rescue operation is happening in the Potomac River
Witnesses reported seeing a “massive crash” and hearing a loud… pic.twitter.com/GtSiWjUWn0
— Nick Sortor (@nicksortor) January 30, 2025
The U. S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) announced that a PSA Airlines regional jet collided in mid-air with a Black Hawk helicopter while it was approaching Reagan. A U. S. Army representative also confirmed that one of its helicopters was part of the incident.
PSA Airlines was operating Flight 5342 for American Airlines, departing from Wichita, Kansas, according to the FAA. As stated on the airline’s website, the aircraft can accommodate a maximum of 65 passengers.
Authorities commenced a multi-agency search and rescue operation in the Potomac River, which borders the airport.
After the incident, all takeoffs and landings at Reagan National Airport were halted as emergency responders handled the situation.
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) is in the process of collecting additional information regarding the crash.
While there have been no fatal passenger jet accidents in the U. S. since February 2009, a recent series of near-miss occurrences has raised worries about aviation safety.
American Airlines recognized the reports of the incident, stating on social media, “We are aware of reports that American Eagle flight 5342, operated by PSA, with service from Wichita, Kansas (ICT) to Washington Reagan National Airport (DCA) has been involved in an incident. ”
The airline promised that more details would be released as they become known.