A US army helicopter and American Airlines CRJ700 were involved in a midair collision just short of runway 33 at Ronald Reagan National Airport in Washington DC.
By: Haotian & Yu Le
Published on: 30 January 2025, 11.01 p.m. (GMT+8)
An American Eagle CRJ-700 enroute from Kansas City collided with a US Air Force Sikorsky H-60 helicopter while landing at Ronald Reagan National Airport (DCA/KDCA) in Washington DC at 8.47pm on 29 January 2025. The aircraft crashed into the Potomac River adjacent to the airport.
The aircraft, N709PS, a 20 year old Mitsubishi CRJ-701ER, was operating a flight from Wichita, Kansas, to Washington DC, under flight number AA5342. 64 passengers and crew were onboard the flight. Meanwhile, the Sikorsky H-60 helicopter had 3 personnel onboard. It departed from Fort Belvoir, Virginia.
While on approach to runway 01 to DCA, the aircraft was asked whether they could switch to runway 33, and subsequently were cleared to do so. Descending past 200 ft AGL, the aircraft collided with the Sikorsky helicopter.
It was reported that the military helicopter did not have its transponder on.
67 deaths as a result of the accident have been confirmed. The cause of the crash is currently under investigation, and rescue efforts are currently underway. As of the publishing of this article, more than 30 bodies have been found, yet no survivors. One out of the two black boxes has been recovered by divers.
The airport has been closed, with most flights to the airport being diverted to the nearby Washington Dulles International Airport (IAD/KIAD).
American Airlines’ CEO, Robert Isom, said: “We’re cooperating with the National Transportation Safety Board in its investigation and will continue to provide all the information we can.”
Project AeroFlight would like to express our deepest condolences to the families of the victims.
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