Search and rescue efforts are seen around a wreckage site in the Potomac River from Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, early Thursday morning, Jan. 30, 2025, in Arlington, Va. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)
A passenger plane and a military helicopter collided mid-air near Ronald Reagan National Airport, killing 67 passengers.
According to Al Jazeera, the incident occurred around 9 p.m. on Wednesday, as reported by the Federal Aviation Administration.
The aircraft involved were a PSA Airlines Bombardier CRJ700, operating as an American Airlines flight, and a US Army Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter.
President Bola Tinubu expressed sadness over the incident, offering condolences to the government and people of United States.
The Bombardier plane, operated by an American Airlines subsidiary, was approaching Reagan National Airport at around 9:00 pm (0200 GMT) after flying from Wichita, Kansas, when the collision happened.
The aircraft involved was a PSA Airlines Bombardier CRJ700, operating as an American Airlines flight, and a US Army Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter.
According to the US Federal Aviation Administration, the plane carried 60 passengers and four crew members, while the military helicopter had three personnel on board.
“We are now at a point where we are switching from a rescue operation to a recovery operation,” Washington Fire Chief John Donnelly, told a news conference at Reagan National Airport.
“At this point, we don’t believe there are any survivors,” Donnelly said, adding that 28 bodies had been recovered — including one from the helicopter.
In a post via his verified X handle on Thursday, Tinubu commiserated with the families of the victims, the people of the United States, and all affected by the sad incident.
He wrote, “I am deeply saddened by the tragic incident in Washington, D.C.
“On behalf of Nigeria, I extend our heartfelt condolences to the families of the victims, the people of the United States, and all affected by this profound loss. I commend the courageous efforts of first responders and emergency teams for their selfless work in harsh conditions.
“Nigeria stands in solidarity with the United States Government and its People, united in grief and hopeful for a new day.”
According to AP, Wednesday’s crash was the deadliest in the U.S. since Nov. 12, 2001, when an American Airlines flight slammed into a residential area of Belle Harbor, New York, just after takeoff from Kennedy Airport, killing all 260 people aboard and five people on the ground.
The last major fatal crash involving a U.S. commercial airline occurred in 2009 near Buffalo, New York. Everyone aboard the Bombardier DHC-8 propeller plane was killed, along with one person on the ground, bringing the total death toll to 50.
It reported also that the collision happened in tightly controlled airspace.
Flight 5342 was inbound to Reagan National at an altitude of about 400 feet (122 meters) and a speed of about 140 mph (225 kph) when it rapidly lost altitude over the Potomac, according to data from its radio transponder. The Canadian-made Bombardier CRJ-700 twin-engine jet, manufactured in 2004, can be configured to carry up to 70 passengers.
A few minutes before the crash, air traffic controllers directed the jet to a shorter runway, and flight-tracking sites showed that it adjusted its approach.
Less than 30 seconds before the collision, an air traffic controller asked the helicopter if it had the arriving plane in sight.
A crewmember said the aircraft was in sight and requested “visual separation” — allowing it to fly closer than otherwise might be allowed if pilots did not see the plane. Controllers approved the request.
Seconds later, the two aircraft collided.
With agency report
