Passenger jet, Blackhawk helicopter collide in DC

Search crews examine wreckage on the Potomac River after midair passenger jet-Blackhawk helicopter collision

Search crews examine wreckage on the Potomac River. The last major US commercial airline crash was in 2009.

(Image credit: Andrew Harnik / Getty Images)

published 30 January 2025

What happened

A regional American Airlines flight with 64 people aboard collided with an Army helicopter Wednesday night near Reagan National Airport in Washington, D.C. The passenger jet, preparing to land after a nonstop flight from Wichita, Kansas, and the UH-60 Blackhawk both crashed into the frigid Potomac River. The Blackhawk, on a training flight from Fort Belvoir in Virginia, had a crew of three, the Army said.

A massive search-and-rescue operation involving about 300 first responders had found "no survivors" as of late last night, and "police have pulled multiple bodies from the water," The Washington Post said. The 60 passengers on American Eagle Flight 5342 included figure skaters, their coaches and family members returning from a development camp in Wichita; at least two of the skaters were Russian, the Kremlin said.

The Wichita area was "thrilled in January 2024 when American Airlines added a nonstop flight to Washington," The New York Times said. But the D.C.-area lawmakers had warned that adding more flights could jeopardize safety at the busy airport, where "at least eight near-midair collisions" occurred last year, according to FAA data. The last major U.S. commercial airline crash was in 2009, near Buffalo.

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Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.