A midair collision between an Army helicopter and an American Airlines flight killed all 67 people aboard the two aircraft, officials said Thursday, as they scrutinized the actions of the military pilot and reported that control tower staffing was “not normal” at the time of the country's worst aviation disaster in a generation.
On January 29, a passenger jet collided with a helicopter near Ronald Reagan National Airport. Abadi Ismail captured video footage from his home, showing emergency teams responding after hearing explosive sounds and seeing smoke rise. The FAA confirmed that PSA Airlines Flight 5342 and a Sikorsky H-60 helicopter were involved in the crash. No casualties have been reported, but all airport operations were suspended. Search teams continue to scour the Potomac River, with the NTSB leading the investigation.
U.S. President Donald Trump criticized the Federal Aviation Administration's diversity equity and inclusion policies after a deadly collision of an American Airlines regional flight and U.S. Army Black Hawk helicopter near Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport.
Staff writers Anna Bryson and Dave Ress contributed to this report.
Tracking the news
The background: A regional American Airlines jet from Wichita, Kansas, and a Black Hawk helicopter based at Fort Belvoir crashed around 9 p.m. Wednesday as the plane prepared to land at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport.
What's new: All 64 people on the plane and all three in the helicopter were killed. Among the dead are three students and six parents from Fairfax County, a young skater and a skating instructor from Loudoun County and "multiple" former Loudoun students.
What's next? Gov. Glenn Youngkin pledged Virginia's full assistance in recovery efforts and in the investigation by the National Transportation Safety Board.
