Sixty-seven people are presumed dead following a mid-air collision between a passenger plane and a military helicopter near Washington, DC’s Ronald Reagan Airport on Wednesday evening.
The exact cause of the crash remains undetermined. Flight-tracking data suggests the helicopter may have been flying above its permitted altitude minutes before the impact, but an ongoing investigation aims to clarify what led to the tragedy.
Authorities have recovered the flight data recorders from the American Airlines jet and continue to retrieve bodies from the icy Potomac River, where the plane crashed.
What Happened?
The aircraft involved were a Bombardier CRJ700 operating as American Airlines Flight 5342, which had traveled from Wichita, Kansas, and a Sikorsky H-60 Black Hawk helicopter from B Company, 12th Aviation Battalion, which departed from Fort Belvoir, Virginia.
The helicopter appeared to be flying above the permitted altitude at the time of the accident.
Recordings of air traffic control conversations posted online indicate that a controller attempted to warn the helicopter about the approaching American Airlines plane in the seconds before the crash. The helicopter pilot seemingly acknowledged the alert, but moments later, the two aircraft collided.
Transport Secretary Sean Duffy suggested the helicopter crew was aware of the plane’s presence. At a briefing on Thursday, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth added that the helicopter was engaged in an annual proficiency flight, performing a night evaluation with the aid of night-vision goggles.
The collision occurred around 21:00 local time (02:00 GMT) as the plane was approaching Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport.
Eyewitness Ari Schulman told NBC Washington that the plane’s approach seemed routine until it abruptly banked hard to the right, with “streams of sparks” illuminating its belly, which he described as looking “very, very wrong.”
Another witness, Jimmy Mazeo, described seeing what resembled a “white flare” in the sky and noted that incoming aircraft appeared to be flying in “irregular patterns.”
After the collision, the passenger plane broke apart and sank several feet into the river, while the helicopter landed upside down on the water’s surface. Hundreds of first responders, using rubber boats, were deployed to search for survivors. Officials described the challenging conditions they faced, dealing with ice floating in the freezing river and navigating through wreckage.
Authorities later announced they no longer expected to find survivors and shifted their mission to recovery efforts.
How Many Victims Are There?
Sixty-four people were on board the plane, including four crew members, and the helicopter carried three soldiers.
So far, 41 bodies have been recovered, including all three people aboard the military helicopter, emergency officials reported.
The victims on the plane included top figure skaters, a young pilot, flight attendants, and a lawyer traveling home on her birthday. They represented a range of nationalities, with several already identified by family members and organizations.
Among the skaters were six individuals associated with a Boston-based club—two teenagers, their mothers, and two Russian coaches, Evgenia Shishkova and Vadim Naumov, both former world champions.
Watch: Figure skating performances of DC plane crash victims The plane’s captain, Jonathan Campos, was named by his aunt, who told the New York Times that flying had always been his dream.
Ryan O’Hara was the crew chief of the helicopter. Who are the victims? US and Russian figure skaters were among those on board the crashed plane.
What’s the Status of the Investigation?
The cause of the crash remains unknown. Officials have recovered the plane’s flight data recorder and cockpit voice recorder—known as the black boxes—and are investigating possible contributing factors, including human error.
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) launched its first full day of investigation on Thursday and plans to release a preliminary report within 30 days.
Defense Secretary Hegseth stated the probe will determine whether the helicopter was flying in the correct corridor and altitude.
According to the NTSB, the helicopter performed a standard maneuver when it shifted between corridors.
Meanwhile, it was reported that air traffic control staffing at the time of the crash was “not normal,” citing a preliminary Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) report.
Typically, two controllers manage helicopters and airplanes in the area, but only one was on duty during the incident.
What Has President Trump Said?
On Friday, President Trump stated that the Black Hawk helicopter was flying too high “by a lot.” “It was far above the 200ft limit. That’s not really too complicated to understand, is it???” he said.
Flight data analyzed support of the claim that the helicopter exceeded the altitude limit. FlightRadar24 data estimated its last recorded altitude at approximately 400ft.
“Why is it on this day, on that flight, they were [as much as] 150 to 200ft higher than they knew they should be?” Greg Feith, a former senior air safety investigator, told.
US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth told Fox News on Friday: “Someone was at the wrong altitude.
“The investigation will help us understand that. Was the Black Hawk too high? Was it on course? Right now, we don’t quite know.”
Earlier, Trump expressed condolences for the victims before criticizing past hiring practices for air traffic controllers under Presidents Joe Biden and Barack Obama, suggesting they may have contributed to the accident.
Trump said his team had “strong opinions and ideas” about the crash but acknowledged the investigation was still in its early stages.
He also announced that Chris Rocheleau would serve as the temporary head of the FAA, which has lacked a permanent administrator and deputy administrator since Trump took office.
Combative Trump blames diversity policies after tragedy Watch: Trump claims, without evidence, that diversity policies contributed to the DC plane crash.
What’s America’s Air Safety Record?
Major aviation accidents of this kind are rare in the U.S. The last comparable crash occurred in 2009 when an aircraft crashed while approaching Buffalo, New York, killing all 49 on board and one person on the ground, according to Reuters.
Washington DC’s airspace is both heavily trafficked and strictly regulated. Domestic and international flights use two airports in the region, alongside frequent presidential flights, military operations, and Pentagon-related activity.
Passenger aircraft operate under structured flight plans, while military pilots receive instructions from air traffic controllers but maintain the ability to deviate from course under a “see and avoid” protocol.
This system typically ensures safety but will now be scrutinized as part of the investigation into Wednesday’s disaster.