A devastating mid-air collision between a U.S. Army Black Hawk helicopter and an American Airlines regional jet near Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport has left no known survivors, officials confirmed in an ABC7 report.
The crash, which occurred Wednesday night around 9 p.m. ET, sent the PSA Airlines-operated Bombardier CRJ700 plunging into the Potomac River. The aircraft, flying as American Eagle Flight 5342 from Wichita, Kansas, was carrying 60 passengers and four crew members. The Army helicopter, a Sikorsky H-60, had three soldiers aboard on a training flight from Fort Belvoir.
Emergency response teams have recovered several bodies from the river, but no survivors have been found, according to law enforcement sources. The multi-agency search effort continues, with the FBI’s National Capital Response Squad assisting local and federal agencies.
All flight operations at Reagan National Airport have been suspended, with the FAA stating the airport will remain closed until at least Friday at 5 a.m.
American Airlines expressed deep concern for those on board, while government officials, including President Donald Trump, Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy, and Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin, have acknowledged the tragedy and called for prayers.
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has taken over the investigation, with the cause of the crash yet to be determined. This incident marks the deadliest commercial aviation disaster in the U.S. since 2009.