American Airlines has canceled two scheduled flights on Thursday between Wichita, Kansas, and Washington, DC, following a tragic incident involving one of its passenger planes on that route. The cancellation comes after a deadly collision between American Airlines Flight 5342, operated by PSA Airlines, and a US Army helicopter on Wednesday night.
One of the canceled flights was set to depart from Regan National Airport near DC at approximately 2:21 p.m., as per the American Airlines website. The other affected flight was scheduled to depart from Wichita Dwight D. Eisenhower National Airport at 5:18 p.m.
The Federal Aviation Administration confirmed that the passenger plane, a Bombardier CRJ700 regional jet, collided midair with the US Army helicopter while approaching Runway 33 at Reagan National Airport. The flight was en route from Wichita to Washington, DC, with a total of 60 passengers and four crew members on board.
As a result of this tragic incident, American Airlines made the decision to cancel the two flights as a precautionary measure. The safety and well-being of passengers and crew members are of utmost importance to the airline.
The FAA and defense officials are conducting investigations into the circumstances surrounding the midair collision. The incident has raised concerns about aviation safety and the need for enhanced measures to prevent such accidents in the future.
