- President Donald Trump has questioned why a helicopter which crashed into a commercial flight didn't change its course, after the two collided and plunged more than 60 people into the Potomac River in Washington D.C. Both aircraft were likely fitted with collision avoidance systems—and experts are asking why they failed. There are now more than 300 responders now on the scene of the "highly complex" operation.
Rescue teams are desperately searching for bodies in dark, murky, icy water after an American Airlines flight carrying 60 passengers and four crew members collided with a military Black Hawk helicopter over Washington D.C.
Both aircraft plunged into the Potomac River near Reagan National Airport—where the plane was attempting to land— at approximately 9pm on January 29. There are now more than 300 responders now on the scene of the "highly complex" operation.
At least 19 bodies have been recovered from the wreckage, law enforcement officials told CBS news. Washington officials say they believe no one survived.
President Donald Trump released an official statement saying he had been briefed on the "terrible accident" and thanked first responders.
But he later took to his social media platform, Truth Social, to question why the helicopter carrying three people had not changed course.
"The airplane was on a perfect and routine line of approach to the airport," the Commander-in-Chief wrote. "The helicopter was going straight at the airplane for an extended period of time. It is a CLEAR NIGHT, the lights on the plane were blazing, why didn’t the helicopter go up or down, or turn.
"Why didn’t the control tower tell the helicopter what to do instead of asking if they saw the plane. This is a bad situation that looks like it should have been prevented. NOT GOOD!!!"
Who was on board the American Airlines jet?
American Airlines has confirmed flight 5342 was en route from Wichita, Kansas to Washington, D.C. when the accident occurred.
The flight was being operated by regional carrier PSA Airlines which is a subsidiary of American Airlines.
The plane was a CRJ-700, a smaller regional jet which can carry up to 70 people seated in rows of three or four, separated by an aisle.
Among the passengers were Yevgenia Shishkova and Vadim Naumov, former ice skating world champions turned coaches, according to Russian state media reports. The married duo won the pairs championship in 1994 and moved to the States four years later, where they have lived ever since.
One man—who did not share his name—told British media outlet Sky News that his daughter's best friend and her mother had been on board flight 5342, and had travelled from their home in Kansas to D.C. for an athletics trip.
"I haven't heard much. I got off work and came straight here to be with my friends," the man added. "She was a nice kid."
'My daughter's friend was on this flight.'
— Sky News (@SkyNews) January 30, 2025
Washington DC plane crash: Father says daughter's friend was returning from ice-skating competition.https://t.co/6osgRkiVYa pic.twitter.com/LgVsurNMdJ
The Federal Aviation Administration said it is investigating the incident alongside the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB).
American Airlines CEO, Robert Isom, said the business was cooperating fully with the NTSB and would continue to provide as much information as possible.
"That work will take time but anything we can do now, we're doing," Isom said—before adding he was en route to Washington D.C. himself.
The carrier added: "If you believe you may have loved ones on board Flight 5342, call American Airlines toll-free at 800-679-8215. Those calling from outside the U.S. can visit news.aa.com for additional phone numbers. Family members in Canada, Puerto Rico or the U.S. Virgin Islands can call 800-679-8215 directly."
Are there any survivors?
Last night D.C. fire chief John Donnelly was asked if there were any survivors: "We don't know yet, but we're working," he responded.
"It's a highly complex operation, the conditions out there are extremely rough for the responders. It's cold, they're dealing with relatively windy conditions—the wind is hard out there on the river," Donnelly explained.
He added divers and boat teams are searching in a "large black spot" due to a lack of overhead lighting. The river is 8 feet deep at the search site and littered with chunks of ice.
LIVE: Update on Tonight's Plane Collision https://t.co/8IK8LlKp07
— Mayor Muriel Bowser (@MayorBowser) January 30, 2025
What do we know about the Black Hawk helicopter?
The FAA has confirmed that the military helicopter which collided with the jet was a Black Hawk Sikorsky H-60.
According to manufacturers Lockheed Martin the Black Hawk is used for missions from air assault to emergency response.
Used by 36 nations across the planet, Lockheed Martin says the Black Hawk has spent more than 15 million hours in the air with more than five million of those in combat.
The aircraft has also been trusted to carry the likes of the President, operated by the HMX-1 “Nighthawks” squadron which have flown a fleet of Sikorsky VH-3D Sea Kings and VH-60N Black Hawks—a specification within the wider H-60 Black Hawk family.
What safety measures were in place?
Audio obtained by Reuters appears to provide some insight into the communications between air traffic control and the craft before the collision.
The audio—recorded on LiveATC.net—seems to capture air traffic control asking the Black Hawk if it can see the passenger jet crossing its path, and maneuver behind it.
Using the call sign for the helicopter, the operator can be heard saying: "PAT 2-5 do you have the CRJ [passenger jet] in sight?"
"PAT 2-5 pass behind the CRJ," the operator then adds. Exclamations are then heard before a controller adds—presumably to the airport base: "I don't know if you caught earlier what happened, but there was a collision on the approaching 3-3."
The audio could not be verified by Fortune.
Geoffrey Thomas, an aviation consultant, told the BBC that the U.S. has the safest airline system in the world: "These sorts of things don't happen in the United States anymore."
He added collision avoidance systems are fitted in the vast majority of crafts across the commercial and military sector, and as such "technically [the crash] should never have happened. It's perplexing and tragic."
Are other flights going ahead?
According to delays monitoring website Flightstats, Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport currently has the highest ranking of 5 in terms of delays.
A statement on the airport's website adds: "Mutual aid from neighboring agencies were called to assist, and takeoffs and landings at the airport were halted for the remainder of the evening. We will continue to post information as it becomes available.
"We are not expecting flights to resume until at least 11 a.m. today, January 30. Please check back for updates, and contact your airline directly for schedule updates."
On plane tracking website Flightradar24, the only craft in the sky in the area around Ronald Reagan airport is a U.S. Park Police helicopter circling the Potomac River.
Clusters of planes can also be seen at the nearby Dulles International Airport and Baltimore Washington International Airport.
