2025 — Jan 29, American Airlines jet and U.S. Army Black Hawk collide, Potomac, DC– 67
Compiled by Wayne Blanchard; last edit 2-15-2025 for upload to: http://www.usdeadlyevents.com/
–67 AP. “Everyone [on] American Airlines jet that collided with an Army helicopter…” 1-30-2025.[1]
–64 American Airlines Flight 5342 (Bombardier CRJ700[2])
— 3 U.S. Army UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter (Call name PAT 25)[3]
Narrative Information
Jan 30, AP: “Arlington, VA (AP) – All 64 people aboard an American Airlines jet that collided with an Army helicopter were feared dead in what was likely to be the worst U.S. aviation disaster in almost a quarter century, officials said Thursday.
“At least 28 bodies were pulled from the icy waters of the Potomac River after the helicopter apparently flew into the path of the jet late Wednesday as it was landing at Ronald Reagan National Airport near Washington, officials said. The plane carried 60 passengers and four crew. Three soldiers were aboard the helicopter….
“The plane was found upside-down in three sections in waist-deep water, and first responders were searching an area of the Potomac River as far south as the Woodrow Wilson Bridge, roughly 3 miles (4.8 kilometers) south of the airport, Donnelly said. The helicopter wreckage was also found.
“If no one survived, the collision would be the deadliest U.S. air crash since 2001.
“There was no immediate word on the cause of the collision, but officials said flight conditions were clear as the jet arrived from Wichita, Kansas, with U.S. and Russian figure skaters and others aboard. It was preparing for a routine landing at the time of the collision. ‘On final approach into Reagan National, it collided with a military aircraft on an otherwise normal approach,’ American Airlines CEO Robert Isom said. ‘At this time, we don’t know why the military aircraft came into the path of the … aircraft.’….
“The night was clear, the plane and helicopter were both in standard flight patterns and there was standard communication between the aircraft and the tower, Duffy said…. It is not unusual to have a military aircraft flying the river and an aircraft landing at the airport, he said. Asked if the plane was aware that there was a helicopter in the area, Duffy said the helicopter was aware that there was a plane in the area.
“Asked about Trump suggesting in an overnight social media post that the collision could have been prevented, Duffy said: ‘From what I’ve seen so far, do I think this was preventable? Absolutely.’
“Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth did not appear at the Thursday morning news conference. He was expected to brief reporters at the Pentagon later….
“What happened — The FAA said the midair crash occurred before 9 p.m. EST in some of the most tightly controlled and monitored airspace in the world, just over 3 miles south of the White House and the Capitol.
“American Airlines Flight 5342 was inbound to Reagan National at an altitude of about 400 feet (122 meters) and a speed of about 140 mph (225 kph) when it rapidly lost altitude over the Potomac River, according to data from its radio transponder. The Canadian-made Bombardier CRJ-701 twin-engine jet, manufactured in 2004, can be configured to carry up to 70 passengers.
“A few minutes before landing, air traffic controllers asked the arriving commercial jet if it could land on the shorter Runway 33 at Reagan National and the pilots said they were able. Controllers then cleared the plane to land on Runway 33. Flight-tracking sites showed the plane adjust its approach to the new runway.
“Less than 30 seconds before the crash, an air traffic controller asked the helicopter if it had the arriving plane in sight. The controller made another radio call to the helicopter moments later: “PAT 25 pass behind the CRJ.” Seconds after that, the two aircraft collided.
“The plane’s transponder stopped transmitting about 2,400 feet (732 meters) short of the runway, roughly over the middle of the river. Video from an observation camera at the nearby Kennedy Center showed two sets of lights consistent with aircraft appearing to join in a fireball.
“The U.S. Army described the helicopter as a UH-60 Blackhawk based at Fort Belvoir in Virginia (17.4 miles southwest of Reagan National AP]. Military aircraft frequently conduct such training flights in and around the nation’s capital.” (Associated Press. “Everyone aboard an American Airlines jet that collided with an Army helicopter is feared dead.” 1-30-2025.)
Jan 30. AP. “At White House briefing, Trump focused more on casting blame…”:
“The president [Donald Trump] opened his news conference with a moment of silence honoring the crash victims. But then he used most of his time at the podium to cast political blame rather than call for healing after the tragedy. Without evidence, Trump blamed air traffic controllers, the helicopter pilots and Democratic policies at federal agencies. ‘No, I don’t think so,’ he said when asked if he was getting ahead of himself. The news conference went nearly 40 minutes and Trump said officials would be releasing a full list of victims….
“‘For some jobs,’ Trump said, singling out air traffic controllers. ‘They have to be at the highest level of genius.’ Trump blamed previous administrations’ efforts to promote diversity at federal agencies for contributing to the crash even though the crash has yet to be fully investigated and there has been no determination as to whether the FAA did anything wrong.” (Associated Press/Bill Weissert. “At White House briefing, Trump focused more on casting blame than mourning the crash victims.” 1-30-2025.”
Jan 30. AP. “Former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg calls Trump’s criticisms ‘despicable.’:
“‘As families grieve, Trump should be leading, not lying,” Buttigieg posted on X shortly after the president’s White House news conference….That followed Trump sharply criticizing Buttigieg and even resorting to profanity to denounce what he called Democratic-led efforts to promote diversity at federal agencies. Trump said Buttigieg at the transportation department, had ‘run it right into the ground with his diversity.’”
Jan 30: AP. “Army Blackhawk appeared to be flying about 100 feet above max altitude…”
“And the American Airlines jet also appeared to be too high initially for where they were on their final approach to the runway, based on an analysis of published route maps and radar data.
“The published maximum FAA altitude for Route 4 at that point in the route — near Woodrow Wilson Bridge on the Potomac River — is 200 feet above ground level.
“A radar track posted online late Wednesday showed the helicopter at 300 feet above ground level at the time of the collision. However, the radar data posted online hasn’t been independently verified. In his remarks at the White House, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth also said an “elevation issue” seemed to play a role in the crash.” (Associated Press (Tara Copp). “Army Blackhawk appeared to be flying about 100 feet above max altitude allowed for its flight path.” 1-30-2025.)
Jan 31, New York Times: “The corridor used by an Army helicopter, which appears to have deviated from its approved flight path near Reagan National Airport, has been closed to all but emergency flights….
“Investigators sought to learn whether the UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter had been flying outside of its designated path, as well as whether late-night staffing at the airport’s air traffic control tower, described as ‘not normal’ in a preliminary Federal Aviation Administration report, played a role.”
(New York Times. “Live Updates: F.A.A. Sharply Restricts Airspace Used by Helicopters After Deadly Crash.” 1-31-2025.)
Jan 31, New York Times “Staffing Was ‘Not Normal at Reagan…Tower…F.A.A. Report:
“The report, reviewed by The New York Times, said that one controller was communicating with both helicopters and planes. Those jobs are typically assigned to two people, not one. Staffing at the air traffic control tower at Ronald Reagan National Airport was “not normal for the time of day and volume of traffic,” according to an internal preliminary Federal Aviation Administration safety report about the collision that was reviewed by The New York Times.
“The controller who was handling helicopters in the airport’s vicinity Wednesday night was also instructing planes that were landing and departing from its runways. Those jobs typically are assigned to two controllers, rather than one.
“This increases the workload for the air traffic controller and can complicate the job. One reason is that the controllers can use different radio frequencies to communicate with pilots flying planes and pilots flying helicopters. While the controller is communicating with pilots of the helicopter and the jet, the two sets of pilots may not be able to hear each other.
“Like most of the country’s air traffic control facilities, the tower at Reagan airport has been understaffed for years. The tower there was nearly a third below targeted staff levels, with 19 fully certified controllers as of September 2023, according to the most recent Air Traffic Controller Workforce Plan, an annual report to Congress that contains target and actual staffing levels. The targets set by the F.A.A. and the controllers’ union call for 30. The shortage — caused by years of employee turnover and tight budgets, among other factors — has forced many controllers to work up to six days a week and 10 hours a day….” (New York Times “Staffing Was ‘Not Normal’ at Reagan Airport Tower, According to F.A.A Report.” 1-31-2025.)
Feb 14, NPR: “Investigators with the National Transportation Safety Board gave their first on-camera briefing in almost two weeks since the January 29 mid-air collision involving a U.S. Army Black Hawk helicopter and an American Airlines regional jet that was trying to land at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport. Both aircraft plunged into the Potomac River, killing all 67 people on board both aircraft.
“NTSB chairwoman Jennifer Homendy said the collision between the helicopter and the “CRJ” airplane happened at 278 feet above the river. The helicopter was supposed to be no higher than 200 feet.
“However, Homendy says it’s unclear whether the altimeters in the helicopter were showing the pilots the proper altitude. She says investigators are “seeing conflicting information in the data” and are continuing their analysis.
“Homendy says some radio transmissions between the air traffic controller and the Black Hawk crew weren’t fully heard by the pilots of the helicopter either. She says at least one transmission — the one 17 seconds before impact when the controller told the helicopter to “pass behind the CRJ” — may not have been received by the Black Hawk. That’s because the helicopter crew was already making a radio transmission and part of what the controller said was interrupted and “stepped on,” Homendy said.
“The crew of the American Airlines regional jet saw the helicopter about a second or two before impact. Homendy says the plane’s pilots fully pulled the nose of the aircraft up about nine degrees just before impact. The crew of the helicopter, she said, continued flying mostly in the same direction and speed until the collision.
“She says it appears the helicopter crew was wearing night-vision goggles which are restrictive in what pilots can see. Homendy says the NTSB is planning to put together a full visual simulation of what the Black Hawk pilots would have been able to witness before the accident. “We’re going to have to see what was possible for them to see at the time leading up to the collision and the accident sequence.”
“The full NTSB investigation is expected to take at least a year.” (NPR. “Altimeter in Black Hawk helicopter may have malfunctioned before DCA mid-air collision.” 2-14-2025.)
Sources
Associated Press (Tara Copp). “Army Blackhawk appeared to be flying about 100 feet above max altitude allowed for its flight path.” 1-30-2025. Accessed 1-30-2025 at: https://apnews.com/live/dc-plane-crash-reagan-updates#00000194-b835-d735-a5d5-ff77f3350000
Associated Press (Tara Copp). “Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth says the Army is investigating whether the Blackhawk’s altitude played a role.” 1-30-2025. Accessed 1-30-2025 at: https://apnews.com/live/dc-plane-crash-reagan-updates#00000194-b835-d735-a5d5-ff77f3350000
Associated Press. “Everyone aboard an American Airlines jet that collided with an Army helicopter is feared dead.” 1-30-2025. Accessed 1-30-2025 at: https://apnews.com/article/ronald-reagan-national-airport-crash-62adba7fb1f546b4cf1716e42b86482b
Associated Press. “Former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg calls Trump’s criticisms ‘despicable.’” 1-30-2025. Accessed 1-30-2025 at:
https://apnews.com/live/dc-plane-crash-reagan-updates?version=1738260306548
Associated Press (Heather Hollingsworth). “The passenger plane in the collision was a Bombardier CRJ700).” 1-30-2025. Accessed 1-30-2025 at: https://apnews.com/live/dc-plane-crash-reagan-updates#00000194-b835-d735-a5d5-ff77f3350000
Associated Press (Bill Weissert). “At White House briefing, Trump focused more on casting blame than mourning the crash victims.” 1-30-2025. Accessed 1-30-2025 at: https://apnews.com/live/dc-plane-crash-reagan-updates#00000194-b835-d735-a5d5-ff77f3350000
NPR (Russell Lewis). “Altimeter in Black Hawk helicopter may have malfunctioned before DCA mid-air collision.” 2-14-2025. Accessed 2-15-2025 at: https://www.npr.org/2025/02/14/nx-s1-5297147/black-hawk-helicopter-american-airlines-collision-ntsb
New York Times. “Live Updates: F.A.A. Sharply Restricts Airspace Used by Helicopters After Deadly Crash.” 1-31-2025. Accessed 1-31-2025 at: https://www.nytimes.com/live/2025/01/31/us/dc-plane-crash-potomac-river
New York Times “Staffing Was ‘Not Normal’ at Reagan Airport Tower, According to F.A.A Report.” 1-31-2025. Accessed 1-31-2025 at:
[1] Excluding the fatalities in the WTC in 2001, this incident ranks as the 45th deadliest aviation crash in the U.S. (See Typology document, Aviation subset.)
[2] AP (Heather Hollingsworth). “The passenger plane in the collision was a Bombardier CRJ700).” 1-30-2025.
[3] On board were a captain, staff sergeant and chief warrant officer. (Associated Press/Tara Copp. “Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth says the Army is investigating whether the Blackhawk’s altitude played a role.” 1-30-2025.)