American Eagle Flight 5342 collides with helicopter: What we know so far

January 30, 2025, 14:50 (UTC +3)
“Do I think this was preventable? Absolutely.”

The newly appointed US Secretary of Transportation, Sean Duffy, was asked about the nature of communication between the helicopter and the tower, the plane and the tower, and between the helicopter and the plane.

“I can confirm that communication did take place. It followed standard procedure, and there was no breakdown in communication between the military helicopter and the American airline flight, if that is your question. The aircraft and the tower maintained communication throughout.“

When asked whether the flight was aware of the helicopter in the area, Duffy stated, “I would say the helicopter was aware that there was a plane.”

Reporters also referenced the President’s remarks that the incident could have been prevented and that air traffic control may not have communicated with the helicopter to provide instructions.

Duffy replied, “We’re going to wait for all the information to come in from this vantage point. But to back up what the President said—based on what I’ve seen so far—do I think this was preventable? Absolutely.”

January 30, 2025, 14:45 (UTC +3)

“We don’t believe there are any survivors”

“We are switching from a rescue operation to a recovery operation,” Washington DC fire chief John Donnelly said in a press briefing alongside Mayor Muriel Bowser. “At this point, we don’t believe there are any survivors.”

Twenty-seven bodies have been recovered from the airliner, while one has been found from the helicopter.

A catastrophic midair collision occurred on January 29, 2025, near Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA), involving an American Eagle regional jet and a US Army Black Hawk helicopter. The incident resulted in the aircraft crashing into the Potomac River.

The aircraft involved

American Eagle Flight 5342: Operated by PSA Airlines, the flight was a Bombardier CRJ-700 (registration N709PS) en route from Wichita Dwight D. Eisenhower National Airport (ICT) to DCA. It had 60 passengers and four crew members on board.

US Army helicopter: The second aircraft was a Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk, specifically a VH-60M variant (registration 00-26860), operated by the 12th Aviation Battalion, responsible for VIP transportation in the Washington, D.C. area. Three soldiers were on board.
U.S. Air Force photoWhat happened

The accident happened at approximately 20:50 p.m. local time. The airliner was on final approach to runway 33 at DCA when it collided midair with the helicopter. Following the collision, both aircraft crashed into the Potomac River near the airport.

Durant la nuit, un bombardier CRJ700 de la compagnie PSA Airlines est entré en collision avec un hélicoptère de transport militaire H-60.La scène s’est déroulée à Washington. pic.twitter.com/yaQOwewVIC— Antoine (@thetoitoi) January 30, 2025

Casualties and rescue efforts

As of now, at least 18 bodies have been recovered, according to a police official speaking to CBS News. Divers also recovered one of the two flight data recorders from the airliner.

Reagan National Airport has suspended operations, stating, “We are not expecting flights to resume until at least 11 a.m. today. We will update if this changes.”

The US Army confirmed in a statement shared by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth that the helicopter belonged to Bravo Company, 12th Aviation Battalion, stationed at Davison Army Airfield, Fort Belvoir, and was conducting a training flight at the time of the crash.

“We are working with local officials and will provide additional information once it becomes available,” a military spokesperon said.

Photos appear to show a plane wing and part of the fuselage in the Potomac River.Credit: Andrew Harnik/Getty Images pic.twitter.com/fKn8znVmQY— MSNBC (@MSNBC) January 30, 2025

American Airlines, which oversees PSA Airlines, stated that they are in contact with authorities and assisting in emergency response efforts.

“This is a difficult day for all of us at American Airlines and our efforts now are entirely focused on the needs of our passengers, crew members, partners, first responders, along with their families and loved ones,” American Airlines CEO Robert Isom said in a video.

“May God Bless their souls,” President Donald Trump commented in a statement. “Thank you for the incredible work being done by our first responders. I am monitoring the situation and will provide more details as they arise.”

A number of members from the US Figure Skating Federation were on the plane, along with Russian figure skaters such as Yevgenia Shishkova and Vadim Naumov, the world champions of 1994 who are now coaches, as well as Inna Volyanskaya, a former Soviet skater who transitioned to coaching in the United States.

“US Figure Skating can confirm that several members of our skating community were sadly aboard American Airlines Flight 5342,” the sports federation said in a statement. “We are devastated by this unspeakable tragedy and hold the victims’ families closely in our hearts.”

“We see, unfortunately, that this sad information is confirmed,” Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov told TASS. “Our other compatriots were also there.”

The full extent of casualties remains unconfirmed as emergency response efforts are ongoing.

Investigation underway

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) have launched an investigation. The NTSB will take the lead in determining the cause of the collision.

More updates will be provided as new details emerge.The post American Eagle Flight 5342 collides with helicopter: What we know so far appeared first on AeroTime.

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