A regional passenger jet collided with a U.S. Army helicopter late Wednesday at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, sparking a massive nighttime rescue operation in the icy Potomac River. The crash is being described as the most serious aviation disaster on U.S. soil in decades.
The American Airlines Bombardier CRJ700, operated by PSA Airlines, was carrying 60 passengers and four crew members on a flight from Wichita, Kansas. A Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter, with three soldiers on board, was conducting a training flight out of Fort Belvoir, Virginia.
Authorities have yet to confirm the number of fatalities, but officials have acknowledged that there are casualties. Rescue operations continued through the early hours of Thursday as emergency personnel faced frigid conditions and ice-choked waters.
The crash occurred at around 9 p.m. as the passenger jet was on its final approach to Runway 33 at Reagan National Airport, located just across the Potomac River from the U.S. Capitol. According to eyewitness reports and social media footage, a fireball illuminated the night sky at the moment of impact.
Both aircraft plummeted into the eight-foot-deep waters of the river, scattering debris and sparking chaos as emergency response teams rushed to the scene. More than 300 rescue personnel, including divers and fire department crews, battled freezing temperatures to search for survivors.
D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser, speaking at a briefing alongside newly confirmed Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy and Kansas Senators Roger Marshall and Jerry Moran, expressed sorrow but refrained from confirming the death toll.
“We are deeply saddened by this tragedy,” Bowser said. “Our priority remains the recovery effort and providing support to the families of those involved.”
Senator Ted Cruz (R-Texas), chair of the Senate committee overseeing aviation, took to social media to state, “We know there are fatalities.”
President Donald Trump issued a statement shortly after the crash: “May God bless their souls.” He later took to his social media platform, Truth Social, to speculate about the cause, raising questions about the actions of the helicopter pilots and air traffic controllers.
“This is a bad situation that looks like it should have been prevented. NOT GOOD!!!” the President wrote.
Vice President JD Vance urged Americans to pray for those affected, saying, “We’re monitoring the situation, but for now, let’s hope for the best.”
The collision comes amid growing concerns about near-misses and aviation safety in the United States. Lawmakers and safety advocates have long warned about rising risks, particularly at congested airports like Reagan National.
Jason Ambrosi, head of the Air Line Pilots Association, emphasized the importance of technological investments to prevent such incidents.
“Investing in systems that alert pilots and controllers to potential hazards is critical. This tragedy underscores the need for immediate action,” Ambrosi said.
Emergency responders faced a grueling challenge in the frigid waters of the Potomac, where temperatures hovered just above freezing. Search lights illuminated the dark river as boats, helicopters, and divers scoured the area for survivors.
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has taken the lead in the investigation, with assistance from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the U.S. Army.
Heather Chairez, media chief for the Pentagon’s Joint Task Force in the Capitol region, confirmed that the helicopter was conducting a routine training mission at the time of the collision.
“We are cooperating fully with the NTSB and other authorities as they investigate this tragic incident,” Chairez said.
The disaster is drawing comparisons to the infamous January 1982 crash of an Air Florida jet, which struck the 14th Street Bridge before plunging into the Potomac shortly after takeoff from the same airport. That crash claimed 78 lives but saw five miraculous rescues from the icy waters.
The crash also highlights ongoing concerns about near-collisions at U.S. airports. The FAA had convened a safety summit in early 2023 after a series of close calls, including an incident in Austin, Texas, where a Southwest Airlines jet and a FedEx cargo plane narrowly avoided disaster.
Despite some improvements, Reagan National itself experienced a near-miss in April 2024 involving a JetBlue plane and a Southwest jet.
The FAA has been without a permanent administrator since former Administrator Mike Whitaker stepped down. The absence of a stable leadership structure at the FAA has fueled concerns about its ability to effectively address aviation safety issues.
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, just one day into his role, pledged a thorough investigation and immediate safety reviews.
“I will work closely with the FAA, NTSB, and other stakeholders to ensure we learn from this tragedy and improve our aviation safety protocols,” Duffy said.
Kansas lawmakers, including Senator Roger Marshall and Rep. Ron Estes, expressed grief over the tragedy.
“This is nothing short of a nightmare,” Marshall said. “Our thoughts and prayers are with the victims and their families.”
Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-Calif.) revealed that he had landed at Reagan National just minutes before the collision.
“The thought of what happened just moments after I landed is haunting,” Swalwell said on social media.
The NTSB is expected to issue a preliminary report in the coming days. Both the flight data and cockpit voice recorders from the CRJ700 have been recovered and will be analyzed.
Authorities are also examining air traffic control communications and radar data to determine the sequence of events leading to the collision.
“We are committed to uncovering the truth of what happened and preventing similar incidents in the future,” said NTSB Chair Jennifer Homendy.
As dawn breaks over the nation’s capital, the full scope of the tragedy remains unclear. Yet the collision has already left an indelible mark on American aviation history.
In the coming days, questions will be asked, answers sought, and lessons learned. But for now, the nation grieves the loss of life and the profound impact on families and communities both in Washington, D.C., and Wichita, Kansas.
Authorities continue to urge anyone with information or footage of the crash to come forward. The recovery operation remains active, with hopes that some of the missing may still be found alive.
This disaster stands as a stark reminder of the risks inherent in aviation and the need for constant vigilance and improvement in safety measures.
