A midair collision between a PSA Airlines Bombardier CRJ700 regional jet, operating as American Airlines Flight 5342, and a U.S. Army Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter occurred near Reagan National Airport (DCA) in Arlington, Virginia, on Wednesday evening, prompting a large-scale search and rescue operation. The collision happened around 9 p.m. local time as the CRJ700, en route from Wichita, Kansas, was approaching Runway 33. The helicopter, carrying three soldiers, was on a training flight from Davison Army Airfield at Fort Belvoir. Initial reports indicated no immediate information on casualties or the cause of the incident.
News of the accident quickly reached high-ranking officials, including President Donald Trump, who expressed his condolences and pledged to monitor the situation closely. White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt confirmed President Trump’s awareness of the “tragic” event. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, sworn in earlier that day, was on the scene, coordinating support from the Department of Transportation and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to aid the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) and other responding agencies. Various agencies, including the FBI’s National Capital Response Squad, the U.S. Coast Guard, and the DC Fire and EMS Department, were deployed to assist in the search and rescue efforts.
American Airlines confirmed that 60 passengers and four crew members were on board the CRJ700. The airline expressed concern for those on board and stated their cooperation with authorities and emergency responders. The Army identified the helicopter as belonging to Bravo Company, 12th Aviation Battalion, and committed to providing further information as it became available. The Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk involved is a versatile military helicopter capable of transporting up to 15 people, including crew and rescue personnel.
Air traffic control recordings revealed communication between the tower and the helicopter moments before the collision. Controllers inquired whether the helicopter had visual contact with the approaching CRJ, to which the helicopter responded, but on a separate frequency designated for helicopters. Seconds later, another pilot reported witnessing the apparent midair collision. A video capturing the incident, recorded from a Kennedy Center webcam, showed a mid-air explosion near the Potomac River. President Trump subsequently questioned the actions of the helicopter pilot and air traffic control, speculating on why the helicopter didn’t take evasive maneuvers and criticizing the tower for merely inquiring about visual contact instead of providing more direct instructions.
Airport operations at Reagan National were temporarily suspended, with flights scheduled to resume the following morning. Weather conditions at the time of the crash were reported as clear skies, 10 miles visibility, northwest winds at 16 mph gusting to 26 mph, and a temperature of 50 degrees. This incident marked the first crash involving a U.S. commercial flight since the 2009 Colgan Air Flight 3407 tragedy near Buffalo, New York, which resulted in the death of all 49 people on board.
Reactions to the collision poured in from various figures. Vice President JD Vance urged prayers for those involved, while American Airlines CEO Robert Isom announced the deployment of a support team and a dedicated helpline for families and friends. Kansas Governor Laura Kelly and Senator Roger Marshall expressed their concern and offered support, with Senator Marshall calling for thorough investigation into the circumstances of the accident. The FAA and NTSB initiated investigations into the incident, with the NTSB taking the lead role. This incident underscores the importance of air traffic safety protocols and the need for thorough investigations to determine the causes and prevent future occurrences.
