A devastating mid-air collision near Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport has left dozens dead after an American Airlines passenger plane and a military helicopter crashed over the Potomac River.
The FAA confirmed the incident, which resulted in both aircraft plunging into the freezing waters below, triggering an urgent rescue and recovery operation.
The American Airlines jet, carrying 60 passengers and four crew members, was en route from Kansas to Washington when it collided with a military helicopter carrying three personnel. Officials report that at least 18 bodies have already been recovered from the river, with efforts ongoing to locate more victims.
The tragedy unfolded in clear weather conditions, raising questions about how two aircraft on separate flight paths ended up on a collision course. Social media footage captured the horrifying moment when the two aircraft made contact, sending debris spiraling into the water.
Rescue Efforts and Airport Shutdown
Immediately after the crash, flights at Ronald Reagan Airport were suspended, and emergency teams rushed to the scene. Witnesses described a desperate race against time as first responders battled freezing temperatures to pull survivors—if any remained—from the wreckage.
Authorities confirmed that the remains of the aircraft have been located, but no survivors have been found. Much of the airplane’s fuselage is believed to be at the bottom of the Potomac, complicating recovery operations.
Flight Communications Reveal Final Moments
Air traffic control recordings indicate that both pilots were warned about each other’s presence before the collision. According to reports, controllers urgently asked:
“Do you see the aircraft?”
Seconds later, panic ensued as the helicopter’s pilot attempted to evade the oncoming plane, stating:
“Turning now… trying to break away!”
But it was too late. Radar data suggests both aircraft moved toward each other at the last moment, leading to the fatal impact.
Investigation and Safety Concerns
The Pentagon confirmed that the military helicopter was not carrying high-ranking officials but did not provide further details about its mission. Investigators are now analyzing why the helicopter entered the plane’s flight path and whether air traffic control could have intervened more decisively.
President Donald Trump weighed in on the incident, questioning how such a collision could have happened on a routine approach to the airport. His comments, posted on Truth Social, speculated about why the helicopter failed to maneuver away and whether the control tower acted appropriately.
Robert A. Clifford, founder and senior partner of Clifford Law Offices in Chicago and Lead Counsel in the pending litigation against Boeing in the crash a jet nearly six years ago that killed all 157 on board. “The NTSB will immediately investigate the cause of the crash which, by all standards, never should have happened. The NTSB headquarters is a couple miles from the crash site, and it will have a full Go Team there to begin its investigation and develop answers for the public as to why this crash happened. A mid-air collision immediately leads to questions about FAA air traffic control failures, possible pilot error and aircraft traffic collision avoidance system performance, all of which the NTSB will be looking at along with all other aspects of the investigation. This is not the first air traffic safety incident at Reagan National Airport in the last year. The aviation community has been sounding the alarm on an increasing number of close calls since 2023.”
