67 deaths in American Airlines crash with chopper is carrier’s worst disaster in decades
An American Airlines commuter jet collided with a military helicopter Wednesday evening during a landing approach in Washington, D.C., causing both aircraft to crash into the frigid Potomac River and killing 67 people in the worst U.S. commercial aviation disaster in years.
Flight 5342, operated by PSA Airlines from Wichita, Kansas, to Reagan Washington National Airport, collided with an Army Blackhawk helicopter at 8:48 p.m. ET. American Airlines said the CRJ-700 Bombardier was carrying 60 passengers and four Charlotte-based crew members; the chopper was involved in a training flight with three soldiers aboard.
The bodies of 28 people had been recovered by early Thursday, and efforts to find the remains of other passengers were underway.
“This was a dark and excruciating night in our nation’s capital and in our nation’s history,” President Donald Trump said during a news conference Thursday morning.
“What happened yesterday should not have happened,” Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy told reporters, adding that investigators will determine what happened as quickly as possible. “We will not accept excuses, we will not accept passing the buck.”
Searches overnight through the partially submerged wreckage were conducted as conditions in the Potomac were brutal, with ice on the water, heavy wind and water temperatures in the 30s.
“My sorrow for all of the people and crew on the plane and our military personnel on the helicopter is very deep,” D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser said at a news conference.
The helicopter was on an annual proficiency training flight and conducting a required annual night evaluation, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said. He added that the crew had night-vision goggles.
“It was a fairly experienced crew,” he said.
The military is withholding the names and ranks of the crew for now as next-of-kin are notified, he said.
PSA Airlines, based in Dayton, Ohio, is a wholly owned subsidiary of American Airlines Group. It is not the former discount carrier Pacific Southwest Airlines, which ceased operations in 1988, but is the same trademarked brand that American owns.
American CEO Robert Isom said in a video statement he would be heading to Washington on Wednesday night. “We’re cooperating fully with the National Transportation Safety Board and its investigation, and will continue to provide all the information we can. Our cooperation is without pause, and we want to learn everything we can about today’s events. That work will take time.”
The Fort Worth-based airline said anyone who thinks they may have a loved one on board can call 800-679-8215.
Several coaches and skaters with the United States figure skating team were on the flight, according to U.S. Figure Skating. “These athletes, coaches, and family members were returning home from the National Development Camp held in conjunction with the U.S. Figure Skating Championships in Wichita, Kansas,” the organization said in a statement.
U.S. Figure Skating did not immediately provide details about who from the skating community, or how many, were on the flight.
“We are devastated by this unspeakable tragedy and hold the victims’ families closely in our hearts,” the statement said. “We will continue to monitor the situation and will release more information as it becomes available.”
The U.S. hasn’t seen a commercial airline disaster in 15 years. It has been even longer since a major crash involving American Airlines, the nation’s largest carrier.
An Army spokesperson said the Black Hawk helicopter was on a training flight. The helicopter was from Bravo Company, 12th Aviation Battalion, out of Davison Army Airfield, Fort Belvoir. Helicopters often fly along the Potomac and the U.S. Coast Guard also has a helicopter hangar at the airport.
In November 2001, American Flight 587 crashed after takeoff from JFK Airport in New York City, killing all 260 people on board. The Airbus A300 bound for Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, encountered wake turbulence from a larger Boeing 747 aircraft that took off ahead of it.
The disaster happened two months after the 9/11 attacks, which involved two hijacked American Airlines jets: Flight 11, which hit the North Tower of the World Trade Center, and Flight 77, which was flown into the Pentagon.
The worst aviation accident ever in the United States was American Airlines Flight 191, which in May 1979 lost an engine during takeoff at Chicago O’Hare International Airport and crashed moments later, killing 258 passengers and 13 crew, in addition to two people on the ground.
Investigators determined that improper maintenance procedures weakened the engine’s connection to the wing. As the Los Angeles-bound plane sped down the runway, an engine separated and flipped over the wing, disabling crucial operating systems.
Wednesday’s crash in the ice-cold Potomac River is reminiscent of the Jan. 13, 1982, crash of Air Florida Flight 90, a Boeing 737 taking off during a blizzard. Ice build-up on the plane caused it to crash into the frozen river after it struck Washington’s 14th Street bridge. Of 79 passengers and crew, five were rescued.
That disaster is remembered for the heroic action of federal worker Lenny Skutnik, a bystander who watched a helicopter’s futile effort to pull survivors from the river. He jumped into the river, swam to a victim who was about to drown, and pulled her to shore. President Ronald Reagan invited him to the State of the Union days later, which started the tradition of featuring heroes in the House gallery.
Today, American Airlines has an active fleet of about 140 regional CRJ-700 aircraft, which seats 65 passengers. The planes are manufactured by the Canadian company Bombardier Aviation.
The union representing flight attendants issued a statement late Wednesday:
“Our union is responding to the tragic midair collision of PSA Flight 5342 with a military helicopter. Two AFA Flight Attendants were crewing the flight. While we mobilize to support the families and crews directly affected by this incident, we are also sending strength to all first responders doing everything they can to bring survivors to safety.
“We ask the public to keep the families in your thoughts and respect efforts to get information to loved ones first as everyone clings to hope for survivors. Please avoid speculation at any time.
American Airlines, with its American Eagle regional partners, operates thousands of flights a day to more than 350 cities in 60 countries. Dallas-Fort Worth is a major hub for the carrier.
Wednesday’s incident was the first significant fatal crash of a commercial airline in the United States since Feb. 12, 2009, when Colgan Flight 3407 went down near Buffalo, New York, killing 49 on board and one on the ground. Investigators found that pilot fatigue during icing conditions contributed to the accident.
McClatchy reporters contributed to this story from Wichita, Kansas City and Washington.
This story was originally published January 29, 2025 at 10:37 PM with the headline "67 deaths in American Airlines crash with chopper is carrier’s worst disaster in decades."
