DCA - American Airlines passenger plane collides with Blackhawk over the Potomac River, all 67 on both dead, 29 Jan 2025

[Chimera]

Passenger plane crashes in Washington DC after midair collision

The American Airlines passenger jet crashed into a military helicopter while attempting to land at Reagan National Airport in Washington on Wednesday night.

www.dailymail.co.uk

From the video at the link :
"Flight path of plane that crashed into aircraft near DCA"
It looks like at the very end of the FP that the tracker shows the plane veering to one side, corroborating witnesses driving who saw that collision .

 

[BayouBelle_LA]

There’s audio at link - Air traffic control reporting incident to Fire command.

DC plane crash live updates: 2 NYers ID’d as victims, with 36 bodies yet to be recovered from the site, officials say

Follow The Post’s live updates on the deadly plane crash near DC’s Reagan National Airport that left no survivors after an Army helicopter collided with an American Airlines jet Wednesd…

nypost.com

“It was probably out in the middle river. I just saw a fireball and then it was gone,” the air traffic controller can be heard on audio shared on X.

“I haven’t seen anything since they hit the river. BUt it was CRJ and a helicopter that hit, I would say, maybe a half mile off the approach into 33,” the controller says in a call to Fire Command.

 

[dotr]

 

[Herat]

It's still not known and may not be for a while, but I was hoping the news about some survivors was accurate ?

American Airlines jet crashes in Washington DC after midair collision

The American Airlines passenger jet crashed into a military helicopter while attempting to land at Reagan National Airport in Washington on Wednesday night.

www.dailymail.co.uk

At this time it looks like a terrible accident !
From the video clip at the link, it looks like the chopper heads straight at the plane without attempting to rise higher, or lose altitude and go under to avoid the plane, but possible mechanical failure and the heli. was unable to change course.
They(helicopter pilot) must have seen the plane with both lights on and seemingly in working order.
Was it mechanical malfunction or a medical emergency ?
It looked imo like the plane was on the right course for landing and had (if that's what it's called) the 'right of way' in that space ?
But the heli. wouldn't be there without proper clearance, so...

Also from above link :
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 i (nvestigation.'
So saddened for the anxious families waiting for news right now.
Awful.

Reports are this is a US Army helicopter VIP transport (Priority VIP transport)

 

[Seattle1]

From NBC/4 live audio:

The American Eagle Bombardier CRJ700 Jet, 60 passengers and 4 crew, split in half and is underwater in about 7 feet in the river.

The helicopter is in the river upside down, not stable, bobbing up and down. US Army reports 3 persons were onboard the helicopter.

If you view the earth-cam first widely released, the first plane visible is an aircraft that just departed from Reagan National.

The second plane is the doomed American Eagle Flight (traveling from KS) that was on approach to land at Reagan National when it flashes mid-air at impact with the Helicopter.

The flash disappears within seconds both on the webcam, and confirmed by eye witnesses. No smoke, no fire -- it's just gone.

American Airlines flight collides with Army helicopter near Reagan National, more than 30 bodies recovered

A small commercial airliner and a military helicopter collided and crashed into the Potomac River near Reagan National Airport Wednesday evening, D.C. Fire and EMS confirmed.

www.nbcwashington.com

 

[Chimera]

scanner:
Multiple under the water in seats.

As it was landing, everyone would have their seatbelts on.
400 feet or even 300 is a long drop.

American Airlines flight collides with Army helicopter near Reagan National, more than 30 bodies recovered

A small commercial airliner and a military helicopter collided and crashed into the Potomac River near Reagan National Airport Wednesday evening, D.C. Fire and EMS confirmed.

www.nbcwashington.com

There is a massive emergency response unfolding. Fireboats are in the water, and the Metropolitan Police Department also confirmed it is responding.
A senior FBI official says Washington Field Office personnel are standing by to assist but there’s nothing to indicate anything criminal or terrorist related was involved in the crash.

All takeoffs and landings have been stopped at Reagan National.
Again I believe this was an accident.

 

[MassGuy]

BREAKING: At least 19 bodies pulled from river after D.C. plane crash, according to first responders. No sign of survivors

https://twitter.com/x/status/1884825077339832491

 

[Herat]

scanner:
Multiple under the water in seats.

20m ago / 11:12 PM EST

Tammy Duckworth describes 'pretty good visibility' inside Black Hawk​

David K. Li
The Black Hawk helicopter isn't equipped with an alert system like a commercial airliner would be — but it does have superior visibility that could have helped a crew see an oncoming threat, said Sen. Tammy Duckworth, D-Ill.

Windows above, below and to both sides of the crew give Black Hawk pilots near-panoramic visibility that's far superior to that of a big jet, Duckworth said on MSNBC's "The Last Word with Lawrence O’Donnell."

"So you can actually have pretty good visibility. So it is quite surprising that you can have this happening," said Duckworth, an Army veteran and former Black Hawk pilot.

She said it's far too early to draw any conclusions.

“This airspace is very, very, very busy, and we’re praying ... that there are more survivors,” she said.'

Live updates: American Eagle jet crashes into Potomac River after collision with Army helicopter near Reagan National Airport

The latest news and live updates on the plane crash into the Potomac River.

www.nbcnews.com

And there is obviously a major airport with landings and departures going on within the elevation the helicopter would conventionally travel at.

 

[Simply Southern]

DC5 local has a reporter inside airport. Airport locked down, no one in or out. A press conference has been delayed.

https://www.fox5dc.com/

 

[MassGuy]

The press conference has been delayed until 12:30 a.m. ET

https://twitter.com/x/status/1884826375858585943

 

[Simply Southern]

19 people have been brought to the shore.
Nothing was said on scanner about them being survivors.
???

Reported 60 onboard 4 crew. DC5

 

[sasha17]

CBS News says press briefing at 12:30AM east coast time (about 40 minutes from right now).

 

[dotr]

'Ari Shulman, an eyewitness, describes the moments he saw a plane and helicopter collide midair as he was driving home. Shulman said the plane seemed seemed to be "intact" as it was going down until he saw sparks under the belly of the plane.'

 

[Izzylizzy]

Reuters:
Helicopter was taking part in a training flight.

Not so to it having been a "training flight' says the Army.
Stay tuned.



12m ago / 11:38 PM EST

Helicopter was on routine flight, officials say​

Courtney Kube
The helicopter was on a routine flight, according to a defense official and an Army official.

 

[Seattle1]

The Army UH-60 helicopter had flown out of Fort Belvoir, Va., Army officials told DC News Now.

The helicopter was on a training flight per NBC/4 live audio

https://www.wlns.com/news/local-news/small-aircraft-crashes-into-potomac-river-officials-say/

ETA: News 4 live audio first reported the helicopter on 'routine flight' and within 15 minutes began reporting this was a 'training flight.' Live states ATC questioned the UH-60 pilot "do you see this plane, do you see this plane" and pilot affirms but seconds later collides with the airliner.

American Airlines flight collides with Army helicopter near Reagan National, more than 30 bodies recovered

A small commercial airliner and a military helicopter collided and crashed into the Potomac River near Reagan National Airport Wednesday evening, D.C. Fire and EMS confirmed.

www.nbcwashington.com

 

[MassGuy]

Not so to it having been a "training flight' says the Army.
Stay tuned.



12m ago / 11:38 PM EST

Helicopter was on routine flight, officials say​

Courtney Kube
The helicopter was on a routine flight, according to a defense official and an Army official.

Training flights are routine.

 

[Herat]

There is a suggestion from the radar that the plane tried to pull up in the last 5 seconds before impact.

The plane airspeed would have been in the range of 260 - 270 mph that close to landing. It had very little maneuvering capacity other than to pull up and attempt a go around with the landing gear all extended.

At that elevation in the region of active landing and departure zones, a minimum of 200 ft elevation separation is required for non commercial aviation.

 

[Izzylizzy]

Training flights are routine.

That settles that, thanks!
I interpreted "training" as a newbie being trained to fly/maneuver etc.

 

[jepop]

The press jumped the gun, methinks.
A bit careless, IMO.
Esp. with people waiting for news who are already bracing for the worst.
Shame on the media if they went ahead with this; before waiting for confirmation.
Omo.

I agree. Awful for the families, giving them a rollercoaster of dashed hopes. Instead of saying 'looking for survivors', some reports worded it as 'doing all we can to locate and bring survivors to shore' or such like, as if survivors existed to begin with. Jmo

 

[MassGuy]

That settles that, thanks!
I interpreted "training" as a newbie being trained to fly/maneuver etc.

Pilots need a certain number of flight hours (night training is differentiated from daytime), so they fly regularly to keep up with their training qualifications.

It could very well turn out this was an inexperienced pilot, but it doesn’t have to be the case.