World
Mid-Air Collision at Reagan Airport: Massive Rescue Operation Underway
A devastating mid-air collision occurred on Wednesday night at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, involving a commercial plane carrying 64 passengers and an Army Black Hawk helicopter.
According to federal aviation officials, the accident happened as the jet, operated by PSA Airlines on behalf of American Airlines, was attempting to land just before 9 p.m. ET.
American Airlines stated that there were 60 passengers and four crew members on board the jet, a Bombardier CRJ-700. “Our concern is for the passengers and crew on board the aircraft. We are in contact with authorities and assisting with emergency response efforts,” the airline said in a statement.
The Pentagon reported that the Army Black Hawk helicopter had three soldiers on board and was out of Fort Belvoir, Va.
A webcam at the nearby John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts captured the collision, showing a small aircraft, presumably the helicopter, colliding with the passenger jet at a low altitude, followed by a bright explosion. Radar tracking sites indicate that the passenger jet appears to have fallen into the frigid Potomac River.
DC Fire and EMS confirmed that a small aircraft crashed into the Potomac River near the airport, as helicopters and fireboats rushed to the scene to search for survivors. “There are multiple partner agencies coordinating a search and rescue operation in the Potomac River,” according to a news release from DC Fire and EMS and the Metropolitan Police Department.
In a statement from the White House, President Trump said, “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.”
The incident marks one of the most significant disasters in U.S. airspace in at least 15 years, with the last major commercial airplane accident occurring in 2009, when a Colgan Air flight crashed near Buffalo, killing 50 people.
