Passenger jet crashes into Potomac River near Reagan National after colliding with military helicopter
A regional jet from Kansas crashed into D.C.’s Potomac River after colliding midair with a military Black Hawk helicopter near Virginia’s Reagan National Airport, authorities said Wednesday.
The Sikorsky H-60 and the plane collided as the plane was preparing to land.
The Federal Aviation Administration said the collision happened around 9 p.m. as the plane was approaching Runway 33.
The flight — operated by PSA for American Airlines — departed from Wichita, Kansas, around 5:20 p.m., the FAA said in a statement.
American Airlines said it was aware of the incident and confirmed there were 60 passengers and four crew members aboard the CRJ700 series aircraft.
Three Army soldiers were on board the Black Hawk conducting a standard training flight, officials said.
The Associated Press reports there were multiple fatalities, according to a person familiar with the matter, but the precise number of victims was unclear as rescue crews searched for any survivors.
The person who told The Associated Press that there had been multiple deaths was not authorized to publicly discuss details of the investigation and spoke on condition of anonymity.
American Airlines Flight 5342 was inbound to Reagan National at an altitude of about 400 feet and a speed of about 140 miles per hour when it suffered a rapid loss of altitude over the Potomac River, according to data from its radio transponder. The Canadian-made Bombardier CRJ-701 twin-engine jet, manufactured in 2004, can be configured to carry up to 70 passengers.
Less than 30 seconds before the crash, an air traffic controller asked the helicopter if it had the arriving plane in sight. The controller made another radio call to the helicopter moments later: “PAT 25 pass behind the CRJ.” Seconds after that, the two aircraft collided, the Associated Press reported.
When asked at a press conference held at Reagan National in the predawn hours on Thursday, D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser declined to comment on the condition of the aircraft or give any information regarding the state of the passengers on board.
“I speak for the people of Washington, 700,000 of us, who are extremely sorry for the families who are experiencing loss tonight,” she said.
Multiple reports have detailed the military helicopter was found upside down in the water and the PSA Airlines plane was found broken apart into pieces.
Jack Potter, president and CEO of Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority, told reporters that the focus remained on rescue: “We’re in a rescue mode.”
Potter said a total of 19 aircrafts were diverted to Dulles International Airport. Reagan National will remain closed until at least 11 a.m. Thursday.
“It’s an active operation that’s going to last many hours as we continue to work through recovery efforts and rescue operations,” MWAA Fire and EMS Chief Richard Bonnet said at the press conference. “This will be ongoing for quite a while.”
Divers, responders attempt passenger rescue in dark, cold river
Earlier footage from an observation camera near the Kennedy Center captured the moment in which two sets of lights, consistent with an aircraft, appeared to explode.
WTOP’s Mike Murillo said first responders were pooled from across the D.C. region, including emergency personnel from Fairfax and Montgomery counties.
“I’ve done this for 20 years — I have not seen this many first responders surrounding the entire Potomac River. It’s lit up on the D.C. side,” Murillo said, while reporting from Daingerfield Island. “They’re calling in every resource they have here tonight.”
“Now, it’s unclear what they’re doing at each site due to the distance. I can’t really tell. It could be where they’re letting boats into the water. But, in some spots, you’re seeing so many emergency vehicles in one spot — it