An American Airlines passenger jet with 64 people on board has crashed midair into a military helicopter while attempting to land at Reagan National Airport in Washington.
Emergency services in the city are searching the nearby Potomac River after the jet plummeted into the water just before 9pm on Wednesday night.
Officials have not said how many people died in the accident but have suggested that there may be no survivors. It is the first major commercial air crash in the US in 16 years.
Dive teams have been scouring three debris fields and have recovered one of the jet’s data recorders, also known as the black boxes, CBS News reports.
Emergency workers are facing tough conditions as they search the icy river for possible survivors, with the bodies of 19 people reported to have been recovered so far – a number which is expected to rise.
Among the dead are several members of the US figure skating community, including athletes, coaches and their family members, the sport’s governing body has said.
They had been returning home from the National Development Camp, an advanced training camp for promising young athletes which is held in conjunction with the US Figure Skating Championships, US Figure Skating said..
‘We are devastated by this unspeakable tragedy and hold the victims’ families closely in our hearts. We will continue to monitor the situation and will release more information as it becomes available,’ it added in a statement.
As many as 15 people on the flight may have been involved in figure skating, according to reports.
Russian figure skaters Yevgenia Shishkova and Vadim Naumov, were also on board the plane, Russian state-run TASS news agency reported, citing a source.
Married couple Shishkova, 53, and Naumov, 56, won the world championship in pairs figure skating in 1994.
Their son Maxim Naumov, 23, a prominent American skater recently placed fourth at the US championships in Kansas. He is not believed to have been on the plane.
If their deaths are confirmed, the couple would be the first named victims in the tragedy, which is feared to have claimed dozens of lives.
Surveillance footage taken from inside the airport also captured the moment the two collided in midair
Emergency response units assess airplane wreckage in the Potomac River
Part of the wreckage is seen as rescue boats search the waters of the Potomac River
Rescue boats search the waters of the Potomac River for survivors after the deadly plane crash
The Federal Aviation Authority said that the jet, a Bombardier CRJ700, collided with a Sikorsky H-60 Black Hawk helicopter while on approach to Runway 33
Russian figure skaters Yevgenia Shishkova and Vadim Naumov are reported to have been on board the American Airlines plane that crashed into a Black Hawk helicopter
The plane was being operated as an American Eagle Flight by PSA Airlines for its parent carrier American Airlines
Tents have been set up in the vicinity following the plane crash, pictures show
Emergency response teams are seen at the scene of the crash in the Potomac River
An American Eagle, operated by PSA Airlines, a CRJ-700 aircraft arrives at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport on January 22, 2025 in Arlington
Washington DC Mayor Muriel Bowser said in a statement on X: ‘Tonight, as our first responders continue their efforts, we are sending our love and prayers to the families, loved ones, and communities who are experiencing loss during this terrible tragedy.’
She announced that a briefing will take place at 7.30am ET (12.30pm UK time) as rescuers continue to search the Potomac river.
The airline has confirmed that there were 60 passengers and four crew members on Flight 5342 from Wichita, Kansas, to the capital when the collision happened.
The plane is said to have split in two and is in around seven feet of water, while the helicopter is upside down and is unstable, according to the outlet.
Images captured at the scene show emergency officials on boats around what appears to be part of the fuselage and a wing jutting out of the river.
The Federal Aviation Authority said that the jet, a Bombardier CRJ700, collided with a Sikorsky H-60 Black Hawk helicopter while on approach to Runway 33.
Defense officials have confirmed that the Black Hawk was an Army chopper carrying three soldiers on a training flight.
The plane was being operated as an American Eagle Flight by PSA Airlines for its parent carrier American Airlines.
Audio from LiveATC.net, a respected source for in-flight recording, captured the final communications between the three crew members of the helicopter – call sign PAT25 – before it collided with the CRJ700 Bombardier jet carrying 64 passengers and crew.
‘PAT25, do you have a CRJ in sight? PAT25, pass behind the CRJ,’ an air traffic controller said at 8.47pm local time on Wednesday (01.47 GMT on Thursday).
Seconds later, another aircraft called in to air traffic control, saying, ‘Tower, did you see that?’ – apparently referring to the crash. An air traffic controller then redirected planes heading to runway 33 at Reagan Washington National Airport to go around.
The explosion in midair occurred over the frigid Potomac River near the airport.
‘Crash, crash, crash, this is an alert three,’ one of the air traffic controllers can be heard saying in the audio from around the time of the crash.
‘I don’t know if you caught earlier what happened, but there was a collision on the approach into 33. We’re going to be shutting down operations for the indefinite future,’ another controller remarked.
‘Both the helicopter and the plane crashed in the river,’ a third air traffic controller can be heard saying.
‘It was probably out in the middle of the river,’ the controller said. ‘I just saw a fireball and then it was just gone. I haven’t seen anything since they hit the river. But it was a CRJ and a helicopter that hit.’
Pictured: Russian figure skaters Yevgenia Shishkova and Vadim Naumov , who were reportedly on the plane, with their son Maxim, 23, a prominent US figure skater
Signage displays an emergency message inside Ronald Reagan National Airport following a collision between an American Eagle flight and an Army helicopter in Washington
At a press conference last night, officials could not give any further information on casualties and could not confirm whether any bodies had been recovered.
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy did say that the FAA would study the crash and look at possibly changing flight paths around Reagan National.
Officials said there were 300 first responders out working in ‘complex and extremely rough’ conditions, citing ice still in the cold water.
Fire and EMS Chief John Donnelly said; ‘If you can imagine, the river is a large black spot at night with no lights on it, except for a few buoy lights.’
The airport said in a post to X: ‘All takeoffs and landings have been halted at DCA. Emergency personnel are responding to an aircraft incident on the airfield. The terminal remains open. Will update.’
Images taken at the scene show scores of emergency service teams along the riverside.
Footage has also emerged online of helicopters with search lights passing over the Potomac River.
Video from an observation camera at the nearby Kennedy Center shows two sets of lights consistent with aircraft appearing to conjoin in a fireball.
Surveillance footage taken from inside the airport also captured the moment the two collided in midair.
Defense officials have confirmed that the Black Hawk was an Army chopper that was carrying three soldiers at the time who were on a training flight
Defense officials have confirmed that the Black Hawk was an Army chopper that was carrying three soldiers at the time
A search and rescue boat operates along the Potomac River near the site of the crash after American Eagle flight 5342 collided with a helicopter
A helicopter assists with search and rescue operations over the Potomac River
Video from an observation camera at the nearby Kennedy Center shows two sets of lights consistent with aircraft appearing to conjoin in a fireball
The plane is said to have split in two and is in around seven feet of water, while the helicopter is upside down and is unstable
Lights from emergency vehicles are seen at Reagan National Airport in Washington, DC, after an air crash near the Potomac Rive
Emergency equipment stages at Gravelly Point, north of Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, along the Potomac River, Wednesday, Jan. 29, 2025
Flightradar tracking data shows the final approach of the flight as it crosses over the Potomac, before it cuts out.
NBC Chief Meteorologist Doug Kammerer said that at the time of the incident the water temperature in the river was around 37 degrees Fahrenheit.
Kammerer said that at that temperature someone in the water has only 15 to 20 minutes before they start suffering from hypothermia.
Hamaad Ramza spoke with WUSA on Wednesday evening and revealed that his wife had been on the plane when it crashed.
He said: ‘I’m just praying that someone is pulling her out of the river right now as we speak. I’m just praying to God.’
As the rescue mission continued, a small crowd gathered silently on the west bank of the Potomac River at Daingerfield Island in Virginia.
They watched as three helicopters shone spotlights on the black water scouring for survivors.
There was a small debris field on the water and a boat, and it was believed divers had gone in.
Vast numbers of emergency vehicles were gathered on the east bank of the river, on the Washington D.C. side, their lights illuminating the Capitol building and the Washington Monument.
More emergency vehicles waited on the end of the airport runway to the north of where the crash happened. Police vehicles closed off roads accessing the airport building, which was virtually empty.
As the disaster unfolded the two terminal buildings at Reagan National Airport were eerily quiet.
In Terminal 2, where the flight had been due to arrive, digital signs read: ‘Due to an emergency all flights are being held on the airfield. For customers on departing flights please check with your airline representative.’
A smattering of passengers waited for early departing flights, reading about news of the crash on their phones.
Through a vast window overlooking the airfield they could see a forest of red and blue lights from emergency vehicles on the runway beyond the parked planes.
A Red Cross van brought supplies of bottled water and food to the terminal, and a group of men in khaki arrived to join the rescue effort.
Kansas Senator Roger Marshall posted to his X saying: ‘Tonight, we received devastating news of what can only be described as nothing short of a nightmare.
Vast numbers of emergency vehicles were gathered on the east bank of the river, on the Washington D.C. side, their lights illuminating the Capitol building and the Washington Monument
Rescue boats work the scene on the Potomac River near Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, Wednesday, Jan. 29, 2025, in Arlington
Boats work the scene on the Potomac River near Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, Wednesday, Jan. 29, 2025
‘A plane, traveling to the Nation’s capital from Wichita, KS carrying roughly 60 passengers collided with a Military helicopter.
‘My prayer is that God wraps his arms around each and every victim and that he continues to be with their families.
‘There are no words that can make telling this story any easier. I ask the world to join me in praying for Kansas this evening, the first responders, rescue crews, and all those involved in this horrific accident.
‘I have been in contact with local and national authorities asking for answers and will continue to demand more information on how this unfolded.’
The White House has also confirmed the nature of the crash, with press secretary Karoline Leavitt confirming live on air that President Trump had been made aware.
Emergency services in Washington DC said that a small aircraft had crashed in the Potomac River near the Reagan National Airport, seen here
Emergency services in the city are searching the Potomac River near the airport following the incident just before 9pm on Wednesday night
Trump said in a statement: ‘I have been fully briefed on the terrible accident which just took place at Reagan National Airport. May God Bless their souls.
‘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.’
American Airlines said in a statement: ‘We’re 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. We will provide information as it becomes available.’
In a post to X, Vice President JD Vance said: ‘Please say a prayer for everyone involved in the mid-air collision near Reagan airport this evening.
‘We’re monitoring the situation, but for now let’s hope for the best.’
An FAA statement said: ‘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 FAA and NTSB will investigate. The NTSB will lead the investigation.’
DailyMail.com has approached the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority for more information.
American Airlines has asked that anybody that believes they had loved ones on the flight to call 800-679-8215.
