A plane-helicopter collision in Washington D.C. has claimed the lives of all 64 people on board, including passengers and crew members from American Eagle Flight 5342. The aircraft, a Bombardier CRJ700 regional jet operated by PSA Airlines, was set to land at Reagan National Airport when it collided with an Army UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter on a training flight at 8:47 p.m.
Staffing levels inside the airport’s control tower were “not normal” at the time of the collision, with no single controller dedicated to managing helicopter traffic. An air traffic safety report described this as a contributing factor to the accident.
Recovery efforts have been ongoing since Thursday evening, with multiple fatalities confirmed and several others injured. The crash has disrupted hundreds of flights, with some airlines temporarily suspending operations at Reagan National Airport.
President Trump has announced plans to meet with families of the victims but has not visited the crash site. Aviation experts say a “procedural breakdown” likely contributed to the accident. An investigation is ongoing, and authorities are urging residents not to touch any debris from the crash.
Source: https://www.washingtonpost.com/dc-md-va/2025/01/30/dc-plane-crash-updates-helicopter-potomac-reagan-airport