500+ flights canceled at Reagan Airport post-DC midair collision
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The mid-air collision of a military helicopter and a passenger jet prompts delays and cancellations of flights at Reagan Airport.
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Departure signs display an "Emergency Alert" in the terminal at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, Wednesday night, Jan. 29, 2025, in Arlington, Va (AP)
A total of 516 flights have been canceled at Reagan National Airport near Washington DC after a military helicopter crashed into a civilian airplane in midair on Wednesday, FlightAware tracker reported.
20 other flights have been delayed as well.
On Wednesday night, a US passenger plane carrying 64 people crashed into Washington DC's frigid Potomac River after colliding midair with a military helicopter during a nighttime training exercise, triggering a major emergency response and the grounding of all flights.
Four people pulled from water after collision near Washington's Reagan Airport 🇺🇸
— Saad Abedine (@SaadAbedine) January 30, 2025
Webcam at the Kennedy Center caught an explosion mid-air across the Potomac 👇🏻
Also, a friendly reminder from JAN 22, 2025
Trump Guts Key Aviation Safety Committee, Fires Heads Of TSA, Coast… https://t.co/BGuE5zqayv pic.twitter.com/HJmKNmf6Yp
The aircraft was preparing to land at nearby Reagan National Airport following a flight from Kansas.
American Airlines, whose subsidiary operated the PSA America Airlines Flight 5342, confirmed that "there were 60 passengers and four crew members on board the aircraft."
A US Army official stated that the helicopter involved was a Black Hawk model carrying three soldiers, whose status remains unknown. A separate military spokesperson said they were conducting a "training flight" at the time of the incident.
Washington police reported that "there is no confirmed information on casualties at this time." However, a large-scale search and rescue operation was underway, with divers seen plunging into the snow-lined Potomac.
As of Wednesday night, at least 19 bodies had been recovered so far, and no survivors had been found so far, according to a police official.
"We don't know if there are survivors," Washington DC Fire Chief John Donnelly said.
🚨#BREAKING: A newly surfaced photo shows the wreckage of PSA America Airlines Flight 5342, which plunged into the Potomac River earlier tonight while attempting to land at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport in D.C pic.twitter.com/idq5zekNQh
— R A W S A L E R T S (@rawsalerts) January 30, 2025
