JANUARY 30, 2025 – A Black Hawk helicopter and a passenger jet collided in midair Wednesday and crashed into the Potomac River near Reagan National Airport near Washington, D.C. President Trump confirmed Thursday that there were no survivors. Many of the victims have yet to be publicly identified.
The plane, American Eagle Flight No. 5342, a regional jetliner, was carrying 60 passengers and 4 crew members on a flight from Wichita, Kansas. There were 3 soldiers aboard the U.S. Army’s Sikorsky H-60, a Defense Department official released.
DoD Secretary of Defense, Pete Hegseth, said the helicopter that crashed into the passenger jet was on a “Continuity Government Mission” (COG).
A Continuity of Government (COG) mission refers to a plan or set of procedures designed to ensure that essential functions of government can continue during and after a catastrophic event, whether it’s a natural disaster, terrorist attack, nuclear war, or any other scenario that could disrupt normal government operations.
Last night the DoD issued this statement: “We can confirm that the aircraft involved in tonight’s incident was an Army UH-60 helicopter from Bravo Company, 12th Aviation Battalion, out of Davison Army Airfield, Fort Belvoir during a training flight. We are working with local officials and will provide additional information once it becomes available”.
The FAA reported earlier that 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 p.m. local time. PSA was operating as Flight 5342 for American Airlines. It departed from Wichita, Kansas. The FAA and NTSB will investigate. The NTSB will lead the investigation.
FAA investigators are supporting the NTSB-led investigation of Wednesday night’s midair collision near Reagan Washington National Airport. The NTSB is leading the investigation and will provide all updates. We cannot comment on any aspect of open investigations.