No Survivors Expected After American Airlines Jet Collides with Army Helicopter Near Washington, D.C.

Officials fear no survivors after an American Airlines jet carrying 64 people collided with a U.S. Army Black Hawk helicopter near Ronald Reagan National Airport on Wednesday night. Emergency crews have recovered 28 bodies from the Potomac River, with authorities transitioning from a rescue to a recovery operation.

Midair Collision Over the Potomac River

The American Airlines jet, en route from Wichita, Kansas, was making its final approach to Reagan Airport when it collided midair with the military helicopter. The Black Hawk was on a routine training flight, with three soldiers on board.

Fire Chief John Donnelly confirmed the grim outlook during a Thursday morning briefing:

“We are now at the point where we are switching from a rescue operation to a recovery operation. We don’t believe there are any survivors.”

Rescue teams are searching the Potomac River as far south as the Woodrow Wilson Bridge, roughly three miles from the crash site.

What Caused the Crash?

Officials say weather conditions were clear when the twin-engine Bombardier CRJ-701 jet attempted to land.
American Airlines CEO Robert Isom stated:

“On final approach into Reagan National, it collided with a military aircraft on an otherwise normal approach. At this time, we don’t know why the military aircraft came into its path.”

Flight data shows the jet was at an altitude of 400 feet, traveling at 140 mph, when it suddenly lost altitude over the Potomac. Moments before the crash, an air traffic controller instructed the helicopter crew:

“PAT 25, pass behind the CRJ.”

Seconds later, the two aircraft collided, causing the jet to break apart and fall into the river.

Victims Include U.S. and Russian Figure Skaters

Among the 60 passengers were U.S. and Russian figure skaters, including former world champions Evgenia Shishkova and Vadim Naumov. The two were returning from a U.S. Figure Skating development camp in Wichita.

U.S. Figure Skating released a statement:

“We are devastated by this unspeakable tragedy and hold the victims’ families closely in our hearts.”

Officials Call Crash ‘Preventable’

Newly sworn-in Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy called the incident avoidable:

“Do I think this was preventable? Absolutely.”

The FAA and National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) have launched a full investigation. The crash occurred in restricted airspace, just three miles south of the White House.

Reagan Airport Reopening Delayed

Reagan National Airport, which was set to reopen Thursday at 11 a.m., will now remain closed until at least Friday morning. The FAA is conducting safety checks before allowing flights to resume.

Deadliest U.S. Air Disaster in Over 20 Years

If all passengers and crew are confirmed dead, this will mark the deadliest U.S. airline crash since November 12, 2001, when an American Airlines flight crashed in New York, killing 260 people.

The last fatal U.S. commercial airline accident was in 2009, when Colgan Air Flight 3407 crashed near Buffalo, New York, killing 50 people.

What’s Next?

Authorities will:

• Recover the remaining victims from the Potomac River
• Analyze air traffic control recordings
• Examine black box data from both aircraft
• Investigate pilot communications before the crash

Duffy reassured the public:

“The United States has the safest airspace in the world. We will not rest until we have answers for the families and the flying public.”

This tragic collision has raised serious concerns about airspace safety protocols near Washington, D.C.. More updates will follow as the investigation continues.

More…

• https://www.pbs.org/newshour/nation/officials-fear-no-survivors-from-american-airlines-jet-collision-with-army-helicopter
• https://www.aljazeera.com/news/liveblog/2025/1/30/live-plane-and-helicopter-collide-crash-into-washingtons-potomac-river
• https://apnews.com/article/ronald-reagan-national-airport-crash-62adba7fb1f546b4cf1716e42b86482b