Chaos unfolded in the skies near Reagan National Airport as a commercial jet and a military helicopter collided mid-air, sending emergency crews rushing to the scene.
A mid-air collision between a PSA Airlines Bombardier CRJ700 regional jet and a Sikorsky H-60 helicopter occurred near Reagan Washington National Airport on the evening of January 30, 2025. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) confirmed that the incident took place at approximately 9 p.m. local time while the jet was approaching Runway 33.
The US Capitol is seen in the distance as a police vehicle blocks the entrance to the Potomac River near Reagan National Airport after an air crash in Washington, DC, on January 29, 2025 | Source: Getty Images
A witness, Abadi Ismail, who was in the Buzzard Point area near James Creek Marina, described what he saw and heard at the time of the collision. “I have an advantage view of the Potomac River, the Anacostia River, Reagan Airport, the military base. I have cinematic view so I could see everything that is happening from the moment the crash happened [sic],” he said.
Eyewitness Abdai Ismail shares what he saw when the crash happened, as seen in a video dated January 30, 2025 | Source: YouTube/fox5dc
Ismail recounted that he was watching television when he heard a loud and unusual sound. “It was a bang, bang, very loud bang, bang. Something I’m not familiar with, something you don’t normally hear,” he stated.
Upon looking out his window, Ismail saw smoke rising from the south side of the airport. At first, he struggled to comprehend what had happened. However, within minutes, emergency responders, including the DC Park Police, Coast Guard, DC Police, Arlington Police, and fire trucks, arrived at the scene.
A firetruck heads toward the Potomac River near Reagan National Airport after an air crash in Washington, DC, on January 29, 2025 | Source: Getty Images
“Every resource within DC were heading toward the crash scene. That’s when I took the video. Somewhere around 8:50 p.m. [sic],” he recalled.
The FAA released a statement confirming the collision and provided details about the aircraft involved. “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 agency stated.
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US secretary of transportation, Sean Duffy (R), US Senator (R-KS) Jerry Moran (L) and DC Mayor Muriel Bowser (C) speak at a media briefing at Reagan National Airport after a plane crashed into the Potomac River outside Washington, DC, January 30, 2025 | Source: Getty Images
The FAA and the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) have launched an investigation into the collision. The NTSB will take the lead in determining the cause of the crash, and further updates will be provided as more information becomes available.