An American Airlines local aircraft collided with a military aircraft near Washington, DC, sending both airplane crashing into the Potomac River and killing all 64 people on board. Flight sensor captured the second. The event, which took place late on Wednesday, took place in one of the world’s tightest airspaces, just over three kilometers from the White House.
The accident involved a Bombardier CRJ-701 flight arriving from Wichita, Kansas, with 60 people and four team members, and a UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter carrying three men on a teaching practice. Air traffic controllers cleared the plane for a shorter airport landing and adjusted its strategy moments before the collision, according to flight tracking data. A joystick reportedly asked the aircraft staff if they had the plane in view less than 30 seconds before impact, but there was no reply. The plane’s television transponder signal was cut off by the collision moments later, cutting it off in the middle of the river.
Rescue groups worked through the night, but by Thursday night, the activity turned into a restoration mission. The wreckage of the two aircraft was discovered in three parts, one of them back down in waist-deep fluids, according to authorities who spoke to the public. At least 28 body had been recovered by early Thursday.
The investigation into the fall was started by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), which looked into communications between air traffic controllers and the two plane. At the time, a joystick was generally assigned to two people, handling both fixed-wing and helicopter traffic. Although a source with knowledge of tower operations maintained that staffing levels were normal, an internal Federal Aviation Administration ( FAA ) report described this as an unusual configuration.
In a White House press conference, President Donald Trump addressed the accident, stating that there were no victims. He observed a moment of silence before criticizing air traffic management, blaming variety efforts at the FAA without providing any proof. As the plane was only allowed to fly 200 foot at the time of the incident, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth noted that altitude appeared to be a significant factor.
The victims included young figure skaters from the Skating Club of Boston, their coaches, and families, returning from a championship growth station. Also among the deceased were four coalition steamfitters, three Fairfax County students, six kids, and two Foreign immigrants, according to authorities. According to Army Aviation officials, the helicopter crew had a lot of flying experience and were well-versed in the congestion of Washington airport.
