Live Updates: Collision Involving Black Hawk Helicopter and Regional Jet Near DC

An American Airlines regional aircraft ended up in the Potomac River following a tragic collision with a U.S. Army Black Hawk helicopter near Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport. The event took place on Wednesday night and initiated a joint operation involving multiple agencies for search and rescue, as disclosed by officials.

The initial reports from the Federal Aviation Administration suggest that a PSA Airlines Bombardier CRJ700 regional jet was on a landing approach to the airport when it made midair contact with the helicopter at approximately 9 p.m. local time.

The originating point of the aircraft was Wichita, Kansas.

Significant Updates

President Donald Trump issued a statement regarding the incident, expressing his condolences and admiration for the emergency services, saying, "I have been thoroughly briefed about the unfortunate incident at Reagan National Airport. May God bless the affected souls. I extend my gratitude to the first responders for their remarkable efforts. I am closely observing the situation and will share more details as they come to me."

Reports confirmed by multiple sources to ABC News indicate that the jet had 60 passengers along with its crew of four present on board.

This incident marks the most significant commercial aviation crash in the United States since the 2009 Colgan Air disaster near Buffalo, New York, which resulted in many fatalities.

The most recent fatality linked to an airline incident occurred in 2018 when a passenger was partially ejected from a Southwest flight window.

The Black Hawk helicopter implicated in this crash was stationed at Fort Belvoir, Virginia, as per an official from the Army who added, "We are coordinating with local authorities and will share further details when available."