Multiple deaths have been reported after an American Airlines jet carrying 60 passengers and four crew members collided with an Army helicopter carrying three while landing at Ronald Reagan National Airport near Washington, according to the Associated Press.
According to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), the crash happened just before 9 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 29, 2025, when a jet that departed from Wichita, Kansas, collided with a military helicopter on a training flight on approach to an airport runway.
President Donald Trump was briefed Wednesday night about the collision.
“I have been fully briefed on the terrible accident which just took place at Reagan National Airport,” said Trump in a statement. “May God Bless their souls. Thank you for the incredible work being done by our first responders. I am monitoring the situation and will provide more details as they arise.”
Here’s what we know so far.
What happened before the collision
Investigators are still working on what happened in the final moments before the collision by contacting air traffic controllers and the loss of altitude by the passenger jet.
The AP reported that less than 30 seconds before the crash, an air traffic controller asked the helicopter if it had the arriving plane in sight. The controller told the helicopter moments later, “PAT 25 pass behind the CRJ.” Seconds after that, the two aircraft collided.
Cause of collision
The cause of the collision Wednesday night is not immediately known, per the AP.
Takeoffs and landings from the airport were halted while dive teams searched the site, and helicopters from law enforcement agencies across the region flew to the scene to help search for the bodies.
Passengers and deaths
A fire chief in a press conference Thursday morning said everyone aboard the passenger plane is feared dead.
As of Thursday morning, the bodies of 27 passengers from the American Airlines jet and one helicopter were recovered from the collision, according to the fire chief.
According to the AP, Russian figure skaters Evgenia Shishkova and Vadim Naumov were aboard the plane, along with other Russian nationals, according to the Kremlin.
Coaches, skaters and others had been in Wichita for the 2025 U.S. Figure Skating Championships, which concluded Sunday, and a development camp.
Airport
Ronald Reagan National Airport is located just over three miles south of the White House and the Capitol.
All takeoffs and landings from Reagan Airport were halted until 11 a.m. Thursday, according to the FAA.
Aircrafts involved
The AP reports the helicopter involved in the collision was a UH-60 Blackhawk from Fort Belvoir in Virginia. Three soldiers were in the helicopter at the time of the crash, an Army official confirmed.
The plane was a Canadian-made Bombardier CRJ-701 twin-engine jet and was manufactured in 2004, according to the AP. It can be configured to carry up to 70 passengers.
Oakland County Sheriff responds
Oakland County Sheriff Michael Bouchard spoke with Local 4 Thursday morning in response to the collision. He flew out of Ronald Reagan National Airport just moments before the collision.
Hear the full interview below:
