Tragic Mid-Air Collision Over Washington, D.C. Claims 67 Lives
On January 29, 2025, a devastating mid-air collision occurred over the Potomac River near Washington, D.C., involving American Eagle Flight 5342 and a U.S. Army Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter. All 67 individuals aboard both aircraft—64 passengers and crew on the commercial jet and 3 military personnel on the helicopter—lost their lives in the incident.
Flight 5342, operated by PSA Airlines, was en route from Wichita, Kansas, to Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport. Concurrently, the Black Hawk helicopter was conducting a routine training mission. Preliminary investigations suggest that the helicopter crew reported visual contact with the incoming jet and opted for visual separation, a standard aviation practice. However, this decision proved fatal as the two aircraft collided at approximately 8:48 p.m. EST.
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has initiated a comprehensive investigation into the crash. Early findings indicate that air traffic control protocols and communication between the aircraft and controllers will be focal points of the inquiry.
This tragedy marks the deadliest aviation accident in the United States since 2001 and has prompted renewed discussions about airspace safety and coordination between civilian and military flight operations.
