An American Airlines flight collided midair with a U.S. Army Black Hawk helicopter near Ronald Reagan National Airport, causing a fiery crash over the Potomac River. The incident, which occurred at around 9 p.m. on January 29, was caught on an EarthCam positioned at the Kennedy Center, showing a bright fireball erupting in the night sky as the two aircraft made impact.
Flight 5342, a PSA Airlines Bombardier CRJ700 regional jet operating for American Airlines, was on final approach from Wichita, Kansas, carrying 60 passengers and four crew members. The helicopter, a UH-60 Black Hawk, had taken off from Fort Belvoir, Virginia, only 15 miles away. Upon impact, the plane split in two, landing in seven feet of water, while the Black Hawk was found upside down in the river. Officials have not yet confirmed the number of casualties.
Rescue efforts are underway in the freezing Potomac River, where water temperatures are near 35 degrees. First responders are searching for survivors, but early reports suggest this could be the deadliest aviation accident on U.S. soil since 2009. The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) is leading the investigation, with air traffic control recordings indicating multiple warnings were issued before the collision.
Donald Trump responded to the crash, stating, “It looks like it should have been prevented,” as officials work to determine the cause of the tragedy. The accident has raised concerns about airspace coordination in the heavily restricted Washington, D.C., area, where aircraft must follow strict flight paths along the Potomac before landing.
