A US passenger plane carrying 64 people crashed into the icy waters of the Potomac River near Reagan National Airport on Wednesday night after a mid-air collision with a US Army Black Hawk helicopter, triggering a large-scale emergency response and grounding all flights at the airport.
Rescue teams have so far recovered at least 18 bodies from the river, with fire boats and divers continuing search efforts in near-freezing conditions. The Black Hawk helicopter was carrying three soldiers at the time of the collision, but their status remains unknown.
The aircraft, identified as American Airlines Flight 5342 and operated by PSA Airlines, was en route from Kansas and on final approach when the crash occurred. The flight had 60 passengers and four crew members on board. American Airlines has set up a helpline at 800-679-8215 for family members in the US, Canada, Puerto Rico, and the US Virgin Islands, with additional numbers available at news.aa.com for international callers.
Eyewitness Ari Schulman described seeing a “stream of sparks” in the sky before the plane banked sharply to the right, glowing bright yellow. “Three seconds later, it was trailing sparks and headed down,” he told CNN.
US President Donald Trump said he had been “fully briefed” and extended prayers for the victims. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem confirmed that all available US Coast Guard resources had been deployed for rescue efforts.
Authorities continue to investigate the circumstances surrounding the crash.
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