Passenger plane and helicopter crash into river after mid-air collision in DC
A passenger plane with 64 people on board was landing at the Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport at the time of the crash with the military aircraft, which had three soldiers on board.
Thursday 30 January 2025 13:46, UK
Dozens of people have died after a passenger plane and military helicopter collided in Washington DC.
The American Airlines flight, with 60 passengers and four crew on board, was landing at the Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport when the mid-air collision took place on Wednesday.
The US Army Black Hawk helicopter had three soldiers on board.
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Both aircraft fell into the Potomac River, after colliding just before 9pm local time (2am UK time).
The passenger plane was moments away from landing, having departed from Wichita, Kansas, while the military helicopter was on a training flight.
Washington DC's fire and emergency medical services chief John Donnelly has confirmed that responders are switching from a rescue mission to a recovery operation.
"We don't believe there are any survivors from this accident and we have recovered 27 people from the plane and one from the helicopter," he added.
US Figure Skating, the national governing body for the sport in the US, said in a statement that several members of its skating community were on the passenger plane.
It said the athletes and coaches were returning home from a training camp in Kansas.
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"We are devastated by this unspeakable tragedy and hold the victims' families closely in our hearts," the statement said.
Championship figure skaters Evgenia Shishkova and Vadim Naumov have been named by the Kremlin and Russian state media as two people who were on the plane.
The married couple from Russia won the world championship in pairs figure skating in 1994.
The Kremlin said in a statement on Thursday morning: "Bad news from Washington today. We regret and offer condolences to the families and friends who lost those of our fellow citizens who died in this plane crash."
'Extremely rough' search conditions
Around 300 responders, inflatable boats and multiple helicopters are being used as part of the recovery operation.
Mr Donnelly earlier said the operation is "highly complex" due to "extremely rough conditions".
He said hypothermia is a concern for any possible survivors and first responders as it is currently cold and windy.
In a statement late on Wednesday, US President Donald Trump thanked first responders for their "incredible work", and said he was "monitoring the situation and will provide more details as they arise".
He added: "May God Bless their souls."
Vice president JD Vance also encouraged followers on social media to "say a prayer for everyone involved".
Kansas senator Roger Marshall added: "When one person dies it's a tragedy, but when many, many, many people die it's an unbearable sorrow."
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The UK's Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said he was "deeply shocked" by the scenes coming out of Washington, adding: "My thoughts are with all those on board and their families desperately waiting for news."
Foreign Secretary David Lammy released a similar statement, paying tribute to emergency responders for their "incredible response".
'Did you see that?'
The collision occurred in some of the most tightly controlled and monitored airspace in the world, just over three miles south of the White House and the US Capitol.
A few minutes before landing, air traffic controllers asked American Airlines flight 5342 if it could land on the shorter Runway 33 at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport and the pilots said they were able.
Controllers then cleared the plane to land on Runway 33.
Flight tracking sites showed the plane circled round to approach the new runway from the south, while the helicopter was approaching from the north.
In audio from the air traffic control tower around the time of the crash, a controller is heard asking the helicopter: "PAT25 do you have the CRJ in sight", in reference to the passenger aircraft.
"Tower, did you see that?" another pilot is heard saying seconds after the collision.
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The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) announced the airport would be closed until at least 11am local time.
The US army and the defence department has begun an investigation into the crash.
Pete Hegseth, who was sworn in as defence secretary only days ago, said it had been started "immediately".
The last major crash involving a commercial plane in the US was in 2009, when all 49 people aboard a Colgan Air flight died when it crashed in New York state.