67 people are presumed dead after a U.S. Army helicopter collided midair with an American Airlines jet Wednesday night near Washington, making it the deadliest aviation disaster in almost a quarter of a century.
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) and first responders are continuing to look for evidence and answers.
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What happened
On Jan. 29, 2025, just before 9 p.m. at Ronald Reagan National Airport near Washington D.C., an American Airlines jet coming from Wichita, Kansas, was preparing to land at the airport when it collided midair with a U.S. Army Blackhawk helicopter over the Potomac River.
The crash happened just over three miles south of the White House and the Capitol.
64 people were aboard the American Airlines jet, and three soldiers were on the helicopter.
The plane and helicopter fell into the Potomac River immediately after the crash.
Bodies recovered
On Thursday, officials confirmed about 28 bodies were pulled from the crash, including all three soldiers in the helicopter.
As of Friday morning, more than 40 bodies have since been pulled from the Potomac River.
Officials confirmed Thursday morning that all passengers involved in the crash are presumed dead.
Victims killed in the crash
The Associated Press reports the passengers of the American Airlines flight included figure skaters returning from the United States Figure Skating championships in Wichita.
U.S. Figure Skating said in a statement that several skaters, coaches and their family members were on the commercial flight after going to a development camp that followed the championships on Sunday.
“We are devastated by this unspeakable tragedy and hold the victims’ families closely in our hearts,” U.S. Figure Skating said in a statement.
Two of the people who boarded the plane were identified as Evgenia Shishkova and Vadim Naumov. Shishkova and Naumov are Russian coaches of the figure skaters, according to the AP.
Four union steamfitters from the Washington area were also among the victims in the plane.
The identities of the soldiers in the helicopter are still not known. However, chief of staff for Army aviation Jonathan Koziol confirmed Thursday that the instructor pilot had over 1,000 flight hours. The second pilot, who the instructor pilot was evaluating for that night training flight at the time of the crash, had about 500 flight hours.
Cause of the crash
The NTSB and Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) are investigating the crash. As of Friday morning, it is not known what caused the crash.
The NTSB said during a press conference Thursday afternoon that all bodies will be recovered first before they officially begin the investigation.
Officials said they don’t have enough information yet to have any theories on what caused the crash, but that they’ll learn more as the investigation continues.
Investigators will look at all potential causes, “human, machine and the environment.”
A preliminary report is expected within 30 days.
Officials also said they have not yet recovered the flight data recorders from either aircrafts.
President Donald Trump, during a news conference Thursday morning, blamed air traffic controllers, the helicopter pilots and Democratic policies at federal agencies. He said the FFA was “actively recruiting workers who suffer severe intellectual disabilities, psychiatric problems and other mental and physical conditions under a diversity and inclusion hiring initiative.”
‘Not normal’ staffing
The FAA, in a report, said staffing in the air traffic control tower was “not normal” at the time of the midair collision.
One air traffic controller was responsible for coordinating helicopter traffic and arriving and departing planes when the collision happened, according to a report by the Federal Aviation Administration that the Associated Press obtained. Those duties are often divided between two people, but the airport typically combines the roles at 9:30 p.m., once traffic begins to slow down. On Wednesday, the tower supervisor directed that they be combined earlier.
Helicopter altitude
Koziol said the helicopter’s maximum allowed altitude at the time was 200 feet. It was not immediately clear whether it exceeded that limit, but Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said altitude seemed to be a factor in the collision.
Koziol said investigators need to analyze the flight data before making conclusions about altitude.
