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Fatalities have been confirmed and rescuers have not yet pulled any survivors from the water, a law enforcement source says. The rescue efforts continue in the Washington, DC, area following the crash.
The source says the plane is in pieces in the water and the helicopter is in the water nearby.
Hamaad Raza said his wife was on the plane that collided with a Black Hawk helicopter over the Potomac River.
“I’m just praying that someone is pulling her out of the river right now as we speak,” Raza told CNN affiliate WUSA.
Raza said he received a text message from his wife shortly before the plane was supposed to land.
“She texted me that they were landing in 20 minutes,” he said. But his texts back to her did not get delivered.
That was when he realized that something could be wrong, he told WUSA.
The US Army Black Hawk that collided with a passenger plane on Wednesday was on a training flight at the time of the incident, Joint Task Force-National Capital Region media chief Heather Chairez tells CNN.
The 12th Aviation Battalion, based out of Fort Belvoir, provides helicopter transportation and “technical rescue support” to the National Capital Region.
It’s not clear where the Black Hawk took off from before the collision.
The Air Line Pilots Association says it is sending an accident investigation team to assist the National Transportation Safety Board with its probe of the collision.
“We are shocked and saddened by the tragic accident at DCA tonight. Our thoughts are with those affected by this tragedy and ALPA’s accident investigation team is responding to assist the National Transportation Safety Board in their investigation,” the union posted on X.
US House Speaker Mike Johnson issued a statement on X Wednesday night saying he was “deeply saddened” by the passenger aircraft colliding midair with a US Army Black Hawk helicopter near Reagan National Airport.
I’m deeply saddened to learn about the horrific tragedy at Reagan National Airport.
Please join me in praying for everyone involved as well as our first responders.
— Speaker Mike Johnson (@SpeakerJohnson) January 30, 2025
The FBI Washington Field Office’s National Capital Response Squad is responding to the midair collision in support of law enforcement and public safety partners.
Witnesses have described a large-scale search and rescue operation ongoing over the Potomac River shortly after a passenger plane crashed with a US Army helicopter.
“The air is filled with helicopters searching, boats in the water and police on the ground,” Ashlyn Finch said in a Facebook post.
She added that the “air is horrible smelling with fuel.”
Video taken by Washington, DC resident Roy Best shows a large number of rescue services at the scene of the collision.
Best, a federal employee, was on his building’s rooftop next to the airport when the collision happened.
“It was just a loud noise. So I turned to the side, and I saw a big spark. And then just something falling. Because it was kind of dark. Couldn’t really tell what it was. I didn’t know if it was firecracker or what,” he said.
From his rooftop, Best said he can see ongoing rescue operations, but it is too dark to describe exactly what they are doing.
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem says that the department is “deploying every available US Coast Guard resource for search and rescue efforts” in response to the collision between a passenger jet and an Army Black Hawk helicopter near Reagan National Airport Wednesday night.
“We are actively monitoring the situation & stand ready to support local responders,” she wrote on social media. Noem expressed her concern and prayers for the victims and first responders.
Virginia Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin said Wednesday that first responders from across Northern Virginia, Washington, DC, and Maryland “mobilized quickly” to assist with search-and-rescue efforts following the plane-helicopter collision into the Potomac River.
“I have been briefed by our Emergency Management team and Virginia State Police about the tragic crash at Reagan National Airport tonight. Extensive resources are fully supporting the search and rescue efforts,” Youngkin wrote on X.
“First responders from across Northern Virginia, DC and Maryland mobilized quickly. I ask everyone to pray for the passengers, crews, their families, and brave first responders,” he continued.
American Airlines issued a hotline for family members and loved ones of those onboard the Flight 5342, collided midair with a US Army Black Hawk helicopter near Reagan National Airport.
“If you believe you may have loved ones on board Flight 5342, call American Airlines toll-free at 800-679-8215,” the airline said in a statement.
“Those calling from outside the U.S. can visit news.aa.com for additional phone numbers. Family members in Canada, Puerto Rico or the U.S. Virgin Islands can call 800-679-8215 directly,” it added.
The airline said it will continue to release information about the incident as it becomes available.
Emergency vehicles could be seen rushing to the scene of the aircraft collision in Washington, DC on Wednesday night.
Sarah Fishel, who lives in a condo close to Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, said she heard loud sirens and began recording around 9:10 p.m. ET.
“I ran to the roof and immediately saw the response,” she told CNN.
“We hear helicopters all day long living here so it shouldn’t be a shock that helicopters are in the air space. Not sure how this could happen,” she said.
Fishel said the response to the crash was “almost instant.”
Maryland State Police have deployed divers to the scene of the plane-helicopter crash in the Potomac River, Maryland Gov. Wes Moore said Wednesday night.
Moore said the Maryland Department of Emergency Management has raised its Emergency Operations Center to “Enhanced” status in support.
President Donald Trump said he was “fully briefed” on the collision between a passenger jet and an Army Black Hawk helicopter near Reagan National Airport Wednesday night.
Trump added that he was “monitoring the situation and will provide more details as they arise.”
“May God Bless their souls. Thank you for the incredible work being done by our first responders,” Trump’s statement read.
Washington, DC Mayor Muriel Bowser offered her prayers to “everyone involved” after a passenger jet collided with an Army Black hawk helicopter near Reagan National Airport Wednesday night.
“Our prayers are with everyone involved, and we will continue to keep the public updated as more information becomes available,” Bowser said in an X post.
Dozens of firefighters are engaged in dive operations at the site of the plane crash in the Potomac River, according to a union official.
“Search and rescue efforts are underway in the Potomac River,” Edward Kelly, the general president of the International Association of Fire Fighters said on X.
“They’re doing everything they can to bring survivors to safety. Our prayers are with everyone affected,” he said.
Video shot by Washington, DC resident Abadi Ismail shows rescue operations over the Potomac River following the mid-air collision of an American Airlines passenger plane with a US Army Black Hawk helicopter.
In the video, helicopters can be seen flying near the scene of the crash with search lights.
“I heard two unusual bangs, something I’ve never heard of,” Abadi, age 38, told CNN, adding that it “kind of sounded like a warzone.”
He immediately rushed to his window after hearing the sounds but said he saw “nothing but a little bit of smoke.”
Abadi said rescue helicopters and boats have now “lit up the area.”
The incident happened around 8:50 p.m. ET, he said.
The US Army Black Hawk helicopter that collided with a passenger aircraft had a crew of three and was not carrying any VIPs, according to a US defense official.
Senior Army officials often use Black Hawks for travel in the Washington, DC, area.
The US Army confirmed the plane came out of Fort Belvoir, an Army post in Virginia.
“We can confirm that the aircraft involved in tonight’s incident was an Army UH-60 helicopter out of Fort Belvoir, Virginia. We are working with local officials and will provide additional information once it becomes available,” a US Army official told CNN.
The National Weather Service has issued a warning about the dangers of plunging into the Potomac River, where water temperatures are currently hovering around 35 degrees, despite air temperatures in Washington, DC, being near 50 degrees.
Sudden immersion in such frigid water, known as cold shock, can trigger immediate physiological responses such as uncontrolled gasping, rapid breathing or hyperventilation, according to the National Weather Service.
“Cold shock can cause an immediate panic, fear or stress reaction that then impairs clear thinking and decision making,” the weather service cautioned. These reactions, coupled with a spike in heart rate and blood pressure, can heighten the risk of heart failure or stroke, particularly for vulnerable individuals.
The dangers escalate with prolonged exposure. Hypothermia begins when the body’s core temperature falls to 95 degrees, a process that can start within moments in water this cold. In 35-degree water, individuals may lose dexterity in as little as three minutes, with unconsciousness occurring within 15 to 30 minutes, according to the weather service. Survival times in such conditions are estimated to range between 30 and 90 minutes.
“Since water conducts body heat away up to 26 times faster than air of the same temperature, the cold water rapidly causes extremities to become numb, weakening the ability of muscles to work effectively,” the weather service warned, underscoring the life-threatening risks posed by the river’s near-freezing temperatures.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said the Department of Defense is monitoring developments after a US Army helicopter collided with a passenger plane on approach to Reagan National Airport in Washington, DC.
“DoD actively monitoring. Poised to assist if needed. Prayers for all involved,” Hegseth said in a post on X.
Nearly every law enforcement agency in the area is working on search and rescue efforts after the plane collision near Reagan National Airport Wednesday, a law enforcement source told CNN.
Crews are frantically searching for survivors in the Potomac River, the source said.
Some background: American Airlines told CNN Wednesday night there were 60 passengers and four crew on board the flight that collided on approach to Reagan National Airport.
