'No Survivors': American Eagle Flight, Army Black Hawk Collide Over Potomac River

Bombardier CRJ-700 was on approach at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport.

Meg Godlewski

Thursday, January 30, 2025 at 11:29 AM ET

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Edited By: tccjeremy

The crash site in the Potomac River [Credit: Getty Images/Win McNamee]

Key Takeaways:

A midair collision occurred near Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport between an American Eagle jet (CRJ-700) and a U.S. Army UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter.
All 64 individuals across both aircraft (60 passengers, 4 crew on the jet; 3 service members on the helicopter) are presumed to have perished, with search efforts shifting to recovery in the Potomac River.
The FAA and NTSB are investigating, with potential factors including the difference in radio frequencies used by military and civilian aircraft and ATC's attempt to warn the helicopter of the approaching jet.

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The FAA and National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) have launched an investigation into a midair collision between an American Airlines jet and a U.S. Army UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter near Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (KDCA) on Wednesday night.

The airliner, identified as American Eagle Flight 5342, a PSA Bombardier CRJ-700, was on approach to land on Runway 33 at KDCA shortly before 9 p.m. EST when the accident happened.