An American Airlines plane collided midair with a US Army helicopter near Reagan Washington National Airport in the US, said reports. The jet, carrying 60 passengers, was trying to land at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport outside Washington, D.C. when the incident happened.
"A PSA Airlines Bombardier CRJ700 regional jet collided in midair with a Sikorsky H-60 helicopter while on approach to Runway 33 at Reagan Washington National Airport around 9 p.m. local time," the Federal Aviation Administration confirmed.
First time in 15 years, a plane crash in United States.
— Saqib Ul Islam Chaudhary (@SaqibIslam) January 30, 2025
Desperate search for survivors after an American Airlines jet is downed in collision with military chopper over DC’s Potomac river at the Raegan National Airport #DCCrash #PlaneCrash pic.twitter.com/czkaK5M999
One or both of the aircraft may be in the Potomac River, reported NBC News. It is unclear whether there are any deaths. A search-and-rescue operation is underway on the river.
US Defense Department officials told reporters that the Black Hawk helicopter had three soldiers onboard it.
President Donald Trump was briefed of the situation. "May God Bless their souls. Thank you for the incredible work being done by our first responders. I am monitoring the situation and will provide more details as they arise," Trump told reporters.
The collision was caught on a livestream camera at the Kennedy Center in Washington, DC.
The District of Columbia Fire and Emergency Medical Services Department posted on X that a small aircraft crashed in the Potomac River. "Confirmed small aircraft down in Potomac River vicinity Reagan National Airport. Fireboats on scene," the post read.
According to an eyewitness, the passenger jet was 120 to 150 feet in the air. "It was preparing to land but then looked back moments later and saw that it looked very, very wrong," Ari Schulman told NBC Washington. "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," Schulman said.
The Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport has halted all takeoffs and landings. "Emergency personnel are responding to an aircraft incident on the airfield. The terminal remains open," the airport said.
