Washington plane-helicopter collision: 40 feared dead, rescue on

An American Airlines passenger jet collided with a military helicopter while landing at Ronald Reagan national airport near Washington DC, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) said on Wednesday night.

US media reports suggest death of 40 passengers. However,18 bodies have been recovered from the Potomac River so far.

“A PSA Airlines Bombardier CRJ700 regional jet collided in midair with a Sikorsky H-60 helicopter while on approach to Runway 33 at Reagan Washington National Airport around 9 pm local time. PSA  was operating Flight 5342 as American Airlines. It departed from Wichita, Kansas,” as per FAA statement.

“The FAA and National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) will investigate. The NTSB will lead the investigation,” the statement read.

At least three US soldiers were on the helicopter at the time of the collision, according to US media. No senior US leaders were aboard the Black Hawk helicopter at the time, the official added.

60 passengers onboard

US Senator from Kansas, Roger Marshall, said the aircraft had been carrying “roughly 60 passengers.”

The flight had originated from Wichita, Kansas.

"All takeoffs and landings have been halted at DCA. Emergency personnel are responding to an aircraft incident on the airfield. The terminal remains open. Will update," Reagan Airport posted on X.

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told media that President Trump has “been made aware” of the crash and confirmed that a military helicopter collided with a regional jet.

“The thoughts and the prayers of the entire Trump administration are with all those that are involved,” she said.

She asked people in the DC area to wait for guidance from law enforcement and “allow them to their jobs as they attempt to save lives right now.”

“We are closely monitoring the aviation collision incident that occurred earlier this evening near Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport. The State of Maryland and local authorities are engaged in response,” wrote Governor Wes Moore of state of Maryland on X.

“Maryland Department of Emergency Management (MDEM) has raised its Emergency Operations Center to “Enhanced” status in support. 

They have deployed divers to the scene to assist with rescue missions. 

Maryland DNR police are also on scene. There are no operational restrictions on BWI at this time,” he added.

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