Shorouk Express
A commercial jet with 64 civilians on board collided with an Army helicopter while approaching Ronald Reagan National Airport near Washington D.C on Wednesday night, leaving law enforcement officials scrambling.
A massive search-and-rescue operation for survivors, involving multiple agencies, was launched in the nearby Potomac River, where the temperature was 42 degrees.
The crash occurred around Ronald Reagan National Airport in Washington D.C. at 8:47 ET on Wednesday night. An American Airlines plane inbound from Kansas collided with a U.S. Army Black Hawk helicopter, with footage from nearby showing a fireball following what appears to be a crash between two aircraft.
Follow the latest updates on the plane crash in our live blog
Eyewitnesses described a visible explosion lighting up the night sky. “It looked to me like a giant Roman candle, sparks shooting from the head of the plane down to the tail. I saw that for about two seconds,” bystander Ari Schulman told NBC Washington.
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Air traffic control watched as the passenger jet and helicopter collided before plunging into the river. In audio obtained by CBS News, a dispatcher said: “The accident happened in the river. Both the helicopter and the plane crashed in the river.”
The airport will remain closed until 11am as helicopters from law enforcement agencies across the region flew over the scene in search of survivors. Inflatable rescue boats were launched into the Potomac River from a point near the airport along the George Washington Parkway, just north of the airport.
Video from an observation camera at the nearby Kennedy Center shows two sets of lights consistent with separate aircraft appearing to conjoin in a large fireball.
President Donald Trump said he had been “fully briefed on this terrible accident” and, referring to the passengers, added: “May God Bless their souls.” The president later wrote that the tragedy “should have been avoided.”
While questions remain, including how the horrific incident could have occurred in the heavily monitored air space so close to the Pentagon, here’s what we know so far:
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Many of the victims were in Kansas to compete in the National Figure Skating Championships
A group of those on board the American Airlines flight were figure skaters and coaches who were in Wichita to compete in the National Figure Skating championships which ran from January 20 and 26. Some stayed on for a conference, according to Team USA skater Luke Wang.
Two of the people on board the American Airlines flight have been named as Vadim Naumov and Evgenia Shishkova, they were the 1994 World Figure Skating Championship pairs winners.
Russian news agencies have said that there were multiple passengers on board who were Russian immigrants or the children of emigre.
TASS named another victim as legendary Soviet Union figure skater Inna Volyanskaya.
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The Federal Aviation Administration later confirmed that a commercial flight had collided with a helicopter, later revealed to be a Black Hawk helicopter piloted by the Army.
Around 11.40 p.m., a law enforcement officer told CNN there had some confirmed fatalities but that rescuers had not yet pulled any survivors from the water.
Who was onboard the American Airlines flight?
Some 60 passengers and four crew members were aboard the passenger plane, operated by American Airlines.
According to the airline, American Eagle Flight 5342 had been en route from Wichita, Kansas, to Washington, D.C. when the collision occurred.
“Our concern is for the passengers and crew on board the aircraft. We are in contact with authorities and assisting with emergency response efforts,” American Airlines said in a statement.
Worried family members gathered near the site waiting for information about their loved ones. Hamaad Raza, whose wife was on board, said she had texted him 20 minutes before the incident telling him they were about to land.
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When his responses stopped being delivered, “That’s when I knew something could be up,” he told CNN.
The Association of Flight Attendants, which represents cabin crews at PSA Airlines, said in a statement that there were two flight attendants on board the plane.
“While we mobilize to support the families and crews directly affected by this incident, we are also sending strength to all first responders doing everything they can to bring survivors to safety,” union president Sara Nelson said.
Who was on the Black Hawk military helicopter?
Three U.S. Army soldiers were onboard the Black Hawk helicopter involved in the collision, a U.S. official confirmed on Wednesday.
The official, speaking on the condition of anonymity, said the status of the soldiers was unknown, but added that no senior officials were on the helicopter.
Another official said the Army UH-60 helicopter involved in the crash was based out of Fort Belvoir, Virginia. It was later confirmed that the aircraft and its crew were on a training flight.
What has President Donald Trump said about the incident?
President Donald Trump responded to the crash through official channels before taking to Truth Social to question “why didn’t the helicopter go up or down”.
In a statement released via White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt, Trump said: “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.”
Later on Truth Social, Trump said: “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!!!”
Transport secretary Sean Duffy – who was confirmed just two days ago – said he was onsite at the FAA HQ to monitor the situation.
In a post on X, Vice President JD Vance urged people to “say a prayer for everyone involved in the mid-air collision near Reagan airport this evening. We’re monitoring the situation, but for now let’s hope for the best,” he said.
Meanwhile, newly confirmed Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said in a statement on social media that the department was “deploying every available U.S. Coast Guard resource for search and rescue efforts.”
She added: “We are actively monitoring the situation & stand ready to support local responders.” Noem expressed her concern and prayers for the victims and first responders.
Virginia representative Don Beyer added: “I am following the response to a reported aviation incident at DCA, and am in touch with airport officials as we try to learn more about what happened and why. This is obviously very worrying, but I urge the community to please let first responders do their jobs and save lives.”
