A tragic midair collision between an American Airlines regional jet and a U.S. Army Black Hawk helicopter has resulted in a catastrophic crash into the Potomac River near Reagan Washington National Airport on Wednesday night, officials confirmed.

American Airlines confirmed that Flight 5342, operated by PSA Airlines under the American Eagle brand, was carrying 60 passengers and four crew members when the incident occurred. A U.S. official stated that three soldiers were aboard the UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter, which was based out of Fort Belvoir, Virginia.

A live webcam feed from the Kennedy Center in Washington captured the moment of impact at approximately 9:47 p.m. EST (0247 GMT), showing an explosion midair as a flaming aircraft descended rapidly toward the river.

Witnesses and Response Efforts

According to Reuters, the crash sparked an immediate response, with multiple emergency agencies launching a large-scale search-and-rescue operation along the Potomac River. Police, ambulance, and fire rescue teams mobilized swiftly, with flashing blue and red lights illuminating the water as boats scoured the area. Live TV footage showed several emergency vessels navigating the river in search of survivors.

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) confirmed that the PSA Airlines CRJ700 regional jet was on approach to Reagan National when it collided with the military helicopter. The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) announced that it was actively gathering information to determine the cause of the accident.

“May God bless their souls.” U.S. President Donald Trump said in a statement expressing his condolences.


This tragedy marks the first fatal commercial airline crash in the U.S. since February 2009, when a Colgan Air flight crashed in New York, killing 50 people. The incident comes amid rising concerns over aviation safety, following multiple near-miss collisions in recent years. The FAA has faced scrutiny for staffing shortages in air traffic control, and the agency has been without a permanent administrator since Mike Whitaker stepped down on January 20.