No Survivors in Potomac Midair Collision Between Army Helicopter and American Airlines Jet

Staff Writer
(Photo comp: Daily Boulder)

No survivors have been found or are expected, authorities confirmed Thursday morning, following a devastating midair collision between an Army Black Hawk helicopter and an American Airlines passenger jet near Washington, D.C., late Wednesday night.

The crash, which took place around 9 p.m. on the Potomac River, prompted immediate recovery efforts. At a press briefing earlier today, Fire and EMS Chief John Donnelly stated that all 67 people aboard the two aircraft—64 on the American Airlines flight and 4 on the Army helicopter—are feared to be dead.

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The American Airlines flight, which was carrying 60 passengers and four crew members, had departed from Wichita, Kansas, and was en route to Washington, D.C. The flight collided with an Army UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter from Fort Belvoir, Virginia, which was conducting a required annual night evaluation. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth described the helicopter crew as “fairly experienced.”

While authorities have moved swiftly to recovery operations, both President Donald Trump and newly appointed Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy expressed their belief that the crash could have been prevented. “I have been fully briefed on the terrible accident which just took place at Reagan National Airport,” President Trump said. “May God bless their souls.”

The tragedy comes on a pivotal day for President Trump, with confirmation hearings for key Senate positions underway. It also disrupted air travel in the area, as all flights in and out of Washington, D.C.’s Ronald Reagan National Airport were paused until 11 a.m. Thursday. Video footage from the Kennedy Center appears to show the two aircraft merging in a fireball before crashing.

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As of Thursday morning, at least 28 bodies had been recovered from the crash site, and the search continues. American Airlines has urged family members who believe they may have loved ones aboard Flight 5342 to call their dedicated hotline at 800-679-8215 for further assistance. Those calling from outside the U.S. can visit news.aa.com for additional contact information.

The cause of the collision is under investigation, with authorities working to determine how the two aircraft came to be on the same flight path.

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