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Chaos unfolded in the skies near Reagan National Airport as a commercial jet and a military helicopter collided mid-air, sending emergency crews rushing to the scene.
A mid-air collision between a PSA Airlines Bombardier CRJ700 regional jet and a Sikorsky H-60 helicopter occurred near Reagan Washington National Airport on the evening of January 29, 2025. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) confirmed that the incident took place at approximately 9 p.m. local time while the jet was approaching Runway 33.
A witness, Abadi Ismail, who was in the Buzzard Point area near James Creek Marina, described what he saw and heard at the time of the collision. “I have an advantage view of the Potomac River, the Anacostia River, Reagan Airport, the military base. I have cinematic view so I could see everything that is happening from the moment the crash happened [sic],” he said.
Ismail recounted that he was watching television when he heard a loud and unusual sound. “It was a bang, bang, very loud bang, bang. Something I'm not familiar with, something you don't normally hear,” he stated.
Upon looking out his window, Ismail saw smoke rising from the south side of the airport. At first, he struggled to comprehend what had happened. However, within minutes, emergency responders, including the DC Park Police, Coast Guard, DC Police, Arlington Police, and fire trucks, arrived at the scene.
“Every resource within DC were heading toward the crash scene. That's when I took the video. Somewhere around 8:50 p.m. [sic],” he recalled.
As emergency responders worked through the night, more details emerged about the challenges faced at the crash scene. Ismail noted that the Potomac River was frozen due to the 39-degree temperatures, complicating rescue efforts. “That's another hassle that the U.S. Coast Guard has to maneuver through all this ice in order to get to the crash scene,” he explained.
He also pointed out that based on what he had observed and heard from contacts at DC Park, the situation had shifted from a search-and-rescue mission to a recovery effort.
“The crash scene is about two miles from where I'm at. Based on what I see, I have friends that work at the DC Park. Based on their analysis on the site, this is not a search and rescue mission at this point. Unfortunately, it's a recovery mission [sic],” he said.
In a press conference, DC Fire and EMS Chief John Donnelly confirmed that an alert was sounded at 8:48 p.m., initiating a large-scale emergency response. “At 8:58, the first units arrived on the scene and found an aircraft in the water and began rescue operations,” Donnelly stated.
He added that approximately 300 responders were involved, working under the National Capital Region Mutual Aid Agreement, which includes Washington, Baltimore, and Virginia.
“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. And it's quite hard out on the river. So they are there working and doing everything we can to keep them safe.”
By 2:50 a.m. on January 30, an official confirmed that at least 19 bodies had been recovered from the river, which contained three separate debris fields. No survivors had been found.
Video footage obtained by the Daily Mail captured the moment the American Airlines jet collided with the helicopter mid-air. The airline later confirmed that Flight 5342 had 60 passengers and four crew members onboard when the crash occurred.
U.S. President Donald Trump commented on the incident via Truth Social, expressing concern over how the crash unfolded.
“The airplane was on a perfect and routine line of approach to the airport. 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!!!”
In a follow-up post, he added, “What a terrible night this has been. God bless you all!”
The FAA released a statement confirming the collision and provided details about the aircraft involved. “A PSA Airlines Bombardier CRJ700 regional jet collided in midair with a Sikorsky H-60 helicopter while on approach to Runway 33 at Reagan Washington National Airport around 9 p.m. local time. PSA was operating as Flight 5342 for American Airlines. It departed from Wichita, Kansas,” the agency stated.
US secretary of transportation, Sean Duffy (R), US Senator (R-KS) Jerry Moran (L) and DC Mayor Muriel Bowser (C) speak at a media briefing at Reagan National Airport after a plane crashed into the Potomac River outside Washington, DC, January 30, 2025 | Source: Getty Images
The investigation into the cause of the collision is ongoing. Authorities will analyze air traffic control communications, flight data, and weather conditions to determine what led to the crash.
The FAA and NTSB have urged anyone with additional footage or information to come forward. Further updates are expected as officials continue to assess the incident and its impact.
