American Airlines passenger plane collides with U.S. Army Helicopter near Washington, crashes into river – no survivors

A tragic mid-air collision occurred over Washington, D.C., as a commercial passenger aircraft and a U.S. Army helicopter crashed into the Potomac River. The accident took place near the airport as flight PSA 5342, operated by PSA Airlines (a subsidiary of American Airlines), approached for landing. The aircraft, a Mitsubishi CRJ-701ER with registration N709PS, collided with a Sikorsky H-60 Black Hawk military helicopter from the Bravo Company, 12th Aviation Battalion, conducting a training flight.

Rescue operations are underway for the 67 individuals on board both aircraft. Authorities have yet to confirm any survivors. Over 300 emergency responders, including police, firefighters, the FBI, ambulances, boats, and helicopters, are on-site, working against challenging nighttime conditions.

American media sources, citing police officials, report that bodies have been recovered from the water. CBS News has stated that at least 18 people have been confirmed dead. The impact of the collision reportedly broke the passenger plane into multiple pieces, with the helicopter also sinking nearby.

The CRJ-701ER was carrying 60 passengers and four crew members when it departed from Wichita, Kansas, yesterday, as flight AA5342 with destination Washington National Airport Ronald Reagan. Among the passengers were athletes of the American and Russian figure skating teams returning home from the National Development Camp held in conjunction with the U.S. Figure Skating Championships in Kansas. The military helicopter had three service members on board at the time of the collision.

Eyewitness accounts describe a strong fuel odour at the crash site, adding to the complexity of the ongoing rescue efforts.

While authorities have not yet classified the crash as a criminal act, the FBI remains involved in the investigation. Washington D.C. Mayor Muriel Bower is scheduled to hold a press conference at 18:30 CET to provide further details.

President Donald Trump has been briefed on the tragedy, offering his condolences: “God bless their souls. And thank you to the emergency responders for their incredible work.” However, he also expressed his belief that the crash “should have been prevented.”

Meanwhile, U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth has stated via social media that the Pentagon stands ready to assist in any necessary capacity.

As rescue efforts continue, authorities will be working to determine the cause of this devastating collision and to recover all passengers and crew from the wreckage.

UPDATE

Officials believe that no one survived the midair collision of a commercial jet carrying 64 people and an Army helicopter carrying three U.S. service members near Washington, D.C.

“We are now at a point where we’re switching from a rescue operation to a recovery operation. At this point, we don’t believe there are any survivors from this accident,” DC Fire and EMS Chief John Donnelly said in a Thursday morning news conference.