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Passenger Plane & Military Helicopter Collide in Washington

Eyewitness accounts reported a fiery explosion over the river at around 8:47 p.m., followed by the aircraft plummeting into the water.

  • Publish date: Thursday، 30 January 2025
Passenger Plane & Military Helicopter Collide in Washington

A tragic midair collision between a passenger plane and a military helicopter over Washington, D.C., on Wednesday night (GMT) ended with the aircraft crashing into the icy Potomac River. The incident prompted a large-scale emergency response and temporarily grounded flights at Reagan National Airport.

Plane and Helicopter Collide Before Landing Attempt

The passenger plane, operated by American Airlines subsidiary PSA Airlines, was en route from Wichita, Kansas, carrying 60 passengers and four crew members. It collided with a US Army Black Hawk helicopter on a nighttime training flight, which had three soldiers onboard. Their condition remains unknown.

Eyewitness accounts reported a fiery explosion over the river at around 8:47 p.m., followed by the aircraft plummeting into the water.

Search and Rescue Mission Intensifies

Authorities quickly launched a massive search and rescue operation. Divers were seen entering the frigid river as emergency boats and dozens of fire trucks converged near the crash site. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) ordered the suspension of all flights at Reagan National Airport as multiple agencies responded to the scene.

According to unnamed sources cited by The Washington Post, police have begun recovering multiple bodies from the water. However, officials have not released an official casualty count.

Passenger Plane & Military Helicopter Collide in Washington

Eyewitness Accounts of the Collision

Ari Schulman, a local resident, described seeing the plane moments before the crash. "At first, it looked fine, completely normal. Then suddenly it banked sharply to the right, sparks flying underneath it—it was like watching a giant Roman candle," he told CNN.

Federal Response and Investigation Underway

President Donald Trump issued a statement expressing his condolences to potential victims, saying, "May God bless their souls." However, hours later, he criticized air traffic control on social media, questioning why preventive measures weren't taken to avoid the collision.

"The plane was on a routine approach, and it was a clear night. This should not have happened," Trump posted on Truth Social.

US Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem confirmed that the US Coast Guard had been deployed to assist in search and rescue operations.

Passenger Plane & Military Helicopter Collide in Washington

Unanswered Questions About Air Traffic Safety

The FAA confirmed that a Bombardier regional jet collided midair with the Sikorsky UH-60 helicopter as the passenger plane approached Reagan National Airport. Investigators are now focusing on why the crash occurred despite modern collision-avoidance systems and air traffic control oversight.

The Washington airspace is known for heavy traffic, with frequent landings and the presence of both civilian and military helicopters.

This crash draws eerie parallels to the 1982 Air Florida Flight 90 tragedy, where a plane crashed into the icy Potomac River, killing 78 people.

The investigation will examine how such a catastrophic collision could occur in one of the nation's busiest and most heavily monitored airspaces.

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