'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:

An American Eagle jet and a U.S. Army UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter collided midair near Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (KDCA) on Wednesday night, crashing into the Potomac River.
All 64 individuals aboard both aircraft—60 passengers and 4 crew on the jet, and 3 service members on the helicopter—are presumed to have died, with search efforts shifting to recovery.
The FAA and NTSB are investigating the collision, which was captured on camera and recorded by ATC, with potential factors including communication challenges between military (UHF) and civilian (VHF) aircraft.
The accident led to the closure of KDCA and diversion of flights, while first responders faced extreme conditions during the initial search in the frigid Potomac River.

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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.