A tragic midair collision occurred on Wednesday night near Reagan Washington National Airport, resulting in an American Airlines regional passenger jet and a U.S. Army Black Hawk helicopter crashing into the Potomac River. Officials confirmed that multiple bodies had been recovered from the water, with no survivors found so far.
The American Airlines jet, operated by PSA Airlines as Flight 5342 from Wichita, Kansas, carried 64 people—60 passengers and four crew members. Three soldiers were aboard the Army UH-60 helicopter, which had departed from Fort Belvoir, Virginia. The collision was captured by a Kennedy Center web camera, showing an explosion in the sky before the aircraft fell in flames.
Emergency personnel, including police, ambulances, and rescue boats, swiftly responded, halting all takeoffs and landings at the airport. Families of passengers gathered at Reagan National seeking updates, with heartbreaking scenes unfolding.
U.S. President Donald Trump expressed condolences, stating he had been “fully briefed” and was monitoring the situation. The National Transportation Safety Board and Federal Aviation Administration are investigating the crash, adding to growing concerns over aviation safety following several near-miss incidents in recent years.

This marks the deadliest U.S. passenger airline crash since 2009, raising renewed scrutiny over air traffic control operations amid ongoing staffing shortages. The National Transportation Safety Board said it was gathering more information on the incident.

American Airlines said on social media that it was “aware of reports that American Eagle flight 5342, operated by PSA, with service from Wichita, Kansas (ICT) to Washington Reagan National Airport (DCA) has been involved in an incident.”
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