A regional passenger jet operated by American Airlines and a U.S. Army Black Hawk helicopter crashed into the icy waters of the Potomac River after colliding midair near Reagan Washington National Airport on Wednesday night, officials reported.
According to CBS News, at least 18 bodies have been recovered so far, citing information from a police official. Reuters sources also confirmed that multiple bodies had been pulled from the river.
American Airlines stated that the jet carried 64 people—60 passengers and four crew members. A U.S. official reported that three soldiers were on board the helicopter.
Family members gathered at the airport expressed frustration over the lack of official updates, stating that they were learning more from media coverage than from authorities.
One distraught woman, speaking to an airport official, said, “I don’t know if she got on there or not,” referring to a passenger. Overcome with emotion, she then broke down in tears.
Hamaad Raza, waiting for his wife at Reagan airport, recounted his last communication with her to CBS affiliate WUSA:
“She texted me that she was landing in 20 minutes,” he said. “The rest of my text didn’t … did not get delivered. That’s when I realized that something might be up. I’m just praying that someone is pulling her out of the river right now.”
The U.S. Army confirmed in a statement that the helicopter involved was a UH-60 Black Hawk from Fort Belvoir, Virginia.
While the U.S. has not seen a fatal passenger airline accident since February 2009, a rise in near-miss incidents in recent years has sparked growing safety concerns.
This accident evokes memories of the 1982 Air Florida Flight 90 crash, when a jet slammed into the 14th Street Bridge over the Potomac, killing 70 passengers and four crew members. Only five people survived.
A webcam positioned at the Kennedy Center in Washington captured footage of an explosion midair over the Potomac at approximately 8:47 p.m. (0147 GMT), followed by a fiery aircraft plummeting rapidly.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) reported that the aircraft in question, PSA Flight 5342, was operating for American Airlines and had departed from Wichita, Kansas.
In a video statement, American Airlines CEO Robert Isom assured, “We’re cooperating with the National Transportation Safety Board in its investigation and will continue to provide all the information we can.”
Authorities confirmed that multiple agencies were conducting search and rescue operations in the Potomac River, adjacent to the airport.
Emergency responders, including police, ambulance services, and rescue teams equipped with boats, swiftly mobilized along the river and airport tarmac. Live TV footage showed boats with flashing blue and red lights combing the waters.
The airport later announced that all flight operations had been suspended while emergency teams responded to the disaster.
Former U.S. President Donald Trump acknowledged the tragedy in a statement, saying he had been “fully briefed on the terrible accident which just took place at Reagan National Airport.”
“May God bless their souls,” he added. “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.”
The FAA has been without an administrator since Mike Whitaker stepped down on January 20, with the Trump administration yet to appoint an interim replacement.
The last major commercial airline crash in the U.S. occurred in 2009 when a Colgan Air flight went down in New York, killing all 49 passengers aboard as well as one person on the ground.
