Passenger Jet Collides with Army Helicopter Near Washington’s Reagan National Airport

Passenger Jet Collides with Army Helicopter Near Washington’s Reagan National Airport
Passenger Jet Collides with Army Helicopter Near Washington’s Reagan National Airport

Washington, D.C. (trfnews.i234.me)— A passenger jet collided midair with an Army Blackhawk helicopter Wednesday night while attempting to land at Ronald Reagan National Airport, triggering a major emergency response along the Potomac River.

Crash Details

  • Time & Location: The collision occurred around 9 p.m. EST, approximately three miles south of the White House and Capitol, in one of the most tightly controlled airspaces in the world.
  • Aircraft Involved:
    • Passenger Jet: American Airlines Flight 5342, a Bombardier CRJ-701 twin-engine regional jet carrying up to 70 passengers, inbound from Wichita, Kansas.
    • Military Helicopter: A U.S. Army Blackhawk helicopter, call sign “PAT25.”

Air Traffic Control and Last Contact

  • Air traffic controllers requested the passenger jet adjust its approach to land on Runway 33 at Reagan National.
  • Moments later, a controller asked the helicopter crew if they had the CRJ in sight.
  • Seconds after impact, another pilot on frequency was heard saying:

    “Tower, did you see that?”

  • Other flights were immediately diverted from Reagan National Airport.

Rescue Efforts Underway

  • Helicopters from multiple law enforcement agencies were deployed to search the Potomac River for survivors.
  • Inflatable rescue boats launched from a location along George Washington Parkway, just north of the airport.
  • Fireball Captured on Camera:
    • A Kennedy Center observation camera captured what appeared to be two sets of lights joining into a fireball.

Federal & Military Response

  • President Donald Trump was briefed on the situation.
  • Vice President JD Vance urged the public to pray for those involved.
  • Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy confirmed they are actively monitoring the situation.
  • The FAA and NTSB have launched an immediate investigation into the cause of the collision.

American Airlines & Military Statements

  • American Airlines acknowledged the reports, stating they are gathering information and will provide updates soon.
  • The Pentagon confirmed an Army helicopter was involved but has not yet released crew status.

Historical Context: A Rare But Devastating Accident

  • The incident recalls the tragic crash of Air Florida Flight 90 in 1982, which plummeted into the icy Potomac River, killing 78 people.
  • The last fatal U.S. commercial airline crash occurred in 2009 near Buffalo, New York, when a Bombardier DHC-8 stalled and crashed, killing 50 people.

Ongoing Investigation & Next Steps

  • FAA and military investigators are working to reconstruct the sequence of events leading to the collision.
  • Authorities have not yet released information on casualties or survivor recovery efforts.
  • More details will follow as search and rescue efforts continue.

I’m Chris Harper, reporting for trfnews.i234.me

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