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Mid-Air Collision at Reagan Airport Leaves Dozens Missing
A tragic mid-air collision occurred between an American Airlines jet and an Army Black Hawk helicopter at Reagan National Airport, with roughly 60 passengers on board.
A UH-60M Black Hawk helicopter of the 12th Aviation Battalion, Fort Belvoir, Va. wears a VIP "gold-top" paint scheme during a stop over at Dover Air Force Base, Del. (U.S. Air Force photo/Greg L. Davis)
A devastating mid-air collision occurred on Wednesday evening at Reagan National Airport in Arlington, Virginia, involving an American Airlines jet and an Army Black Hawk helicopter. The incident happened around 9 p.m. local time while the PSA Airlines Bombardier CRJ700 regional jet, operating as Flight 5342 for American Airlines, was on approach to Runway 33.
According to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), the jet collided with a Sikorsky H-60 helicopter, resulting in a tragic outcome. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt informed that President Donald Trump is aware of the situation, describing it as “tragic.”
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The PSA Airlines flight had departed from Wichita, Kansas, and was carrying roughly 60 passengers when the collision occurred. The Metropolitan Police Department of the District of Columbia reported receiving multiple calls at 8:53 p.m. regarding an aircraft crash above the Potomac River.
Emergency responders, including the DC Fire and EMS Department, quickly sprang into action, deploying fireboats to the scene. Video footage captured from a webcam at the Kennedy Center showed what appeared to be a mid-air explosion near the Potomac River.
Kansas Gov. Laura Kelley and Sen. Roger Marshall, R-Kans., expressed their awareness of the incident and offered prayers for the passengers and their families. The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) will lead the investigation into the collision, with the FAA also participating.
The incident has raised concerns about air traffic control safety. The Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter involved in the collision is a four-blade, twin-engine, medium-lift utility military helicopter, capable of carrying 15 people.
