At around 9 p.m. local time on the 29th, a small passenger plane crashed after colliding in the air with a military helicopter (Black Hawk) at Ronald Reagan Airport, a domestic airport in Washington, D.C. American Airlines reported that the passenger plane, which was attempting to land at the airport, was estimated to have 60 passengers and 4 crew members on board.
The fire authorities sent fire trucks to the airport site and launched boats into the nearby Potomac River for search and rescue operations. According to the police, the downed aircraft is said to have fallen into the Potomac River near the airport. There are also concerns that the Black Hawk helicopter, which reportedly had 3 people on board, may have crashed into the Potomac River.
Video footage released by U.S. media shows a scene of a passenger plane and a helicopter colliding in the night sky, followed by a massive burst of flames. In the footage taken just before the collision, not only the passenger plane and helicopter are visible, but also the lights of another passenger plane in the vicinity, indicating that this area is typically busy with various flights.
The passenger plane is known to be operated by PSA Airlines, a regional airline of American Airlines that operates regional routes. The airline primarily operates short-haul flights connecting regional destinations within the U.S., and it is estimated that a significant number of passengers commuting between Washington and nearby areas were on the aircraft involved in this accident.
According to U.S. media, the accident passenger plane was en route from Wichita, Kansas, in the central U.S., to Washington. The aircraft type was reported to be CRJ700, capable of carrying 65 to 78 passengers under normal circumstances. At the time of the accident, the water temperature of the Potomac River was reported to be 35.6 degrees Fahrenheit (2 degrees Celsius). U.S. media reported that with such a water temperature, the survival time for passengers who crashed would be estimated to be a maximum of 30 to 60 minutes.
All takeoffs and landings at Reagan Airport have been suspended. The exact number of casualties is not yet known. Reagan Airport, considered one of the busiest airports in the U.S., is located adjacent to the Pentagon's Ministry of National Defense. This area is frequently used for various flights, including passenger flights as well as military aircraft, including helicopters.
President Donald Trump said in a statement, "I just received a report about the terrible accident that occurred at Reagan National Airport. I hope God blesses the souls of the victims, and I also want to thank our responders for the amazing work they are doing. I am continuing to monitor the situation and will provide updates as additional information becomes available."
According to U.S. media, this accident is reported to be the first major commercial aircraft accident in the U.S. since the Colgan Air crash in Buffalo, New York, in 2009, which resulted in dozens of fatalities. Meanwhile, the last known aviation fatality incident in the U.S. occurred in 2018 when a woman was partially sucked out of a window during a Southwest Airlines flight and died.