JANUARY 30, 2025
Map of the area around Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport and the layout of Runway 33, which the regional American Airlines jet was approaching at the time of the collision with the Army Black Hawk helicopter, according to officials. – ABC News, Google Earth, Flightradar24, ADS-B Exchange
An American Airlines regional jet went down in the Potomac River near Washington, D.C.’s Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport after colliding with a U.S. Army Black Hawk helicopter on Wednesday night, with no survivors expected amid the extremely cold and windy conditions.
Sixty-four people were on board the plane, which departed from Wichita, Kansas.
The collision happened around 9 p.m. when the PSA Airlines Bombardier CRJ700 regional jet was on approach to the airport.
Latest Developments
Reagan Airport resumes flights
Washington, D.C.’s Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport has reopened Thursday morning, about 14 hours after the devastating crash.
Planes are now arriving and departing.
Biden says he’s praying for the victims’ families
Former President Joe Biden wrote on social media that he’s “praying for the families of the victims who tragically lost their lives in the plane and helicopter crash.”
“We are immensely grateful to the brave first responders and emergency personnel on the scene,” he added.
Former President Barack Obama wrote on social media, “Our hearts break for the families who lost loved ones in the tragic plane and helicopter crash.”
“Michelle and I send our prayers and condolences to everyone who is mourning today, and we’re grateful to the first responders who are doing everything they can to help under extremely difficult circumstances,” Obama said.
6 victims on plane were from Skating Club of Boston
Fourteen figure skaters returning home from U.S. Figure Skating’s national development camp in Wichita, Kansas, were on board the plane, according to Doug Zeghibe, CEO and executive director of the Skating Club of Boston.
“Of those 14 skaters, six skaters were from the Skating Club of Boston: two coaches, two teenage athletes and athletes’ moms,” Zeghibe said.
The Skating Club of Boston identified those on board as: athlete Jinna Han with mom Jin Han; athlete Spencer Lane with mom Christine Lane; and coaches Vadim Naumov and Evgenia Shishkova.
Signs display an “Emergency Alert” at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, Jan. 30, 2025, in Arlington, Va. – Mark Schiefelbein/AP
U.S. Figure Skating has said “several members of our skating community” were on board.
“We are devastated by this unspeakable tragedy,” the organization said.
-ABC News’ Alex Faul
Trump to speak at 11
President Donald Trump will hold a press briefing on the crash at 11 a.m. from the White House.
Part of the wreckage is seen as rescue boats search the waters of the Potomac River after a plane on approach to Reagan National Airport crashed into the river outside Washington, DC, on January 30, 2025. – Andrew Caballero-reynolds/AFP via Getty Images
‘Our hearts are heavy,’ emotional Wichita mayor says
Lily Wu, the mayor of Wichita, Kansas, was emotional as she noted that there were no survivors of the American Airlines plane crash, which departed from Wichita.
“I want to address that our hearts are heavy,” Wu said. “Our hearts are heavy as a city. Our hearts are heavy as a city council, and we are here to provide the support needed for our community.”
-ABC News’ Alex Faul
Helicopter appeared to be flying above mandated 200 feet
An early focus for investigators is the flight path of the helicopter, which appeared to be flying at about 350 feet — above the mandated 200 feet, according to sources familiar with the operation.
Law enforcement are seen on a runway at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, as rescue crews search the waters of the Potomac River after a passenger plane crashed into the river after colliding with a Army helicopter, Jan. 30, 2025. – Andrew Caballero-reynolds/AFP via Getty Images
Another focus is communications between the helicopter and air traffic control and whether they were communicating as they should have been, sources said.
-ABC News’ Pierre Thomas and Aaron Katersky
Soldiers on helicopter had night vision goggles: Hegseth
The Army helicopter, which had three soldiers on board, was on an “annual proficiency training flight” at the time of the crash, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth said in a video message.
“It was a fairly experienced crew that was doing a required annual night evaluation,” Hegseth said. “They did have night vision goggles.”
Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth addresses the recent crash at Reagan International Airport, Jan. 30, 2025. – Department of Defense via Twitter
The crash happened on a clear night, officials said.
Officials are working to determine if the helicopter was “in the corridor and at the right altitude” at the time of the crash, Hegseth said.
“It’s a tragedy,” Hegseth said.
Debris found in DC, Maryland and Virginia
Debris from the crash has been found in Virginia, Maryland and Washington, D.C., sources told ABC News.
Piers and shoreline parks in the area — including Daingerfield Island, Gravelly Point, Hains Point and the National Harbor — have been closed to assist with recovery efforts.
-ABC News’ Beatrice Peterson
Black boxes not recovered
The black boxes from the American Airlines plane have not been recovered, a source with direct knowledge told ABC News.
Part of the wreckage is seen as rescue crews search the waters of the Potomac River after a passenger plane on approach to Reagan National Airport crashed into the river after colliding with a US Army helicopter, January 30, 2025. – Andrew Caballero-reynolds/AFP via Getty Images
‘Absolutely’ preventable, transportation secretary says
President Donald Trump posted on social media overnight, “This is a bad situation that looks like it should have been prevented.”
Asked about Trump’s comments, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy told reporters Thursday, “To back up with the president said, what I’ve seen so far — do I think this was preventable? Absolutely.”
Duffy said that “everything was standard in the lead up to the crash.”
“It is not standard to have aircraft collide. Want to be clear on that, but prior to the collision, the flight paths that were being flown from the military and from American that was not unusual for what happens in the D.C. airspace,” Duffy added.
Secretary of transportation Sean Duffy speaks at a media briefing at Reagan National Airport after a plane crashed into the Potomac River outside Washington, DC, January 30, 2025. – Ting Shen/AFP via Getty Images
Duffy said that there was no breakdown of communication.
“I don’t want to say too much on the communication between the helicopter and the tower and the airline and the tower, but I will say this: There was communication,” Duffy said. “It was, I would say, standard communication, so there was not a breakdown” in communication.
“The helicopter was aware that there was a plane in the area,” he said.
Rescue boats search the waters of the Potomac River after a plane on approach to Reagan National Airport crashed into the river outside Washington, DC, January 30, 2025. – Andrew Caballero-reynolds/AFP via Getty Images
Officials did not give any information on the flight history and experience of pilots on both aircraft, but did say that the captain had over six years of experience with the airline and the first officer had almost two years.
Runway operations at the airport are expected to resume at 11 a.m.
-ABC News’ Ayesha Ali
Courtesy/Source: ABC News