Emergency rescue units are waiting on the tarmac as search and rescue operations are underway on the Potomac River at Ronald Reagan Washington Airport on Jan. 30, 2025, in Washington. (Credit: Andrew Harnik/AFP)
A regional American Airlines jet carrying 64 people crashed into the Potomac River on Wednesday night after colliding with a military helicopter near Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport.
A massive search and rescue operation was underway in the freezing waters of the Potomac as emergency responders worked in darkness to locate survivors. Washington police said there was “no confirmed information on casualties” as of late Wednesday. Videos on social media showed helicopters sweeping the river with searchlights, while dozens of fire trucks, some hauling inflatable boats, moved to the crash site.
President Donald Trump reacted in a statement, saying, “God bless them,” before later suggesting on Truth Social that the crash “could have been avoided” had the helicopter maneuvered under air traffic control guidance. “NOT GOOD,” he wrote in capital letters. White House spokesperson Karoline Leavitt told Fox News that “tragically, it appears that a military helicopter collided with a regional airliner.”
American Airlines confirmed in a statement that the aircraft, operated by its regional subsidiary PSA Airlines, had 60 passengers and four crew members on board. CEO Robert Isom expressed his “deep sorrow” in a video message.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) said a Bombardier CRJ-700 operated by PSA Airlines “collided at medium altitude” with a Sikorsky H-60 helicopter as the jet approached Reagan Airport for landing. A Pentagon official said three military personnel were aboard the helicopter, which was conducting a training flight.
Kristi Noem, the new secretary of Homeland Security, announced on X that she had “deployed all Coast Guard resources for search and rescue operations for this horrific accident.” The Washington Post reported that several people had been pulled from the water, though their conditions were unclear.
Witnesses described seeing a flash of light at the time of the collision. Ari Schulman, a driver on a nearby highway, told CNN he “thought he saw the collision” and described a “very bright yellow light.”
Ronald Reagan Airport, also known as DCA, temporarily suspended all departures and arrivals following the crash. The PSA flight had departed from Wichita, Kansas, and was scheduled to land in Washington at 9 p.m.
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