Early report ...
Inbound plane from Wichita collides with Black Hawk helicopter near Washington, D.C. airport
www.kwch.com
... A plane inbound to Washington D.C.'s Reagan Airport from Wichita was involved in a reported collision with a Black Hawk helicopter. The Associated Press reports from law enforcement that an aircraft is down and takeoffs and landings are halted.
Multiple helicopters, including those from the U.S. Park Police and the D.C. Metropolitan Police Department and U.S. military, were flying over the scene of the incident in the Potomac River. D.C. Fire and EMS said on X that fireboats were on the scene.
Washington, D.C. police say a multi-agency search and rescue operation is underway in the Potomac River after the crash.
Video from an observation camera at the nearby Kennedy Center shows two sets of lights consistent with aircraft appearing to conjoin in a fireball.
The airport said emergency personnel were responding to "an aircraft incident on the airfield." ...
Live updates: American Airlines plane crashes into Potomac River near Reagan National
www.nbcwashington.com
... small commercial airliner and a military helicopter collided and crashed into the Potomac River near Reagan National Airport Wednesday evening, D.C. Fire and EMS confirmed.
Video from the web camera network EarthCam shows the moment of the collision. It shows a big flash upon impact.
The airliner had about 60 people aboard. It's not known how many were aboard the helicopter.
An FAA statement says: "A PSA Airlines Bombardier CRJ700 regional jet collided in midair with a Sikorsky H-60 helicopter while on approach to Runway 33 at Reagan Washington National Airport around 9 p.m. local [Eastern] time. PSA was operating Flight 5342 as American Airlines. It departed from Wichita, Kansas."
There is a massive emergency response unfolding. Fireboats are in the water, and the Metropolitan Police Department also confirmed it is responding.
Fire departments from all around the region are staging at Gravelly Point north of Reagan National.
All takeoffs and landings have been stopped at Reagan National. ...
Passenger jet collides with Army helicopter while landing at Reagan Washington National Airport
apnews.com
... A passenger jet collided Wednesday with an Army helicopter while landing at Ronald Reagan National Airport near Washington, prompting a large search-and-rescue operation in the nearby Potomac River.
There was no immediate word on casualties, but all takeoffs and landings from the airport near Washington were halted as helicopters from law enforcement agencies across the region flew over the scene in search of survivors. Inflatable rescue boats were launched into the Potomac River from a point near the airport along the George Washington Parkway, just north of the airport.
President Donald Trump was briefed, his press secretary said, and Vice President JD Vance encouraged followers on the social media platform X to "say a prayer for everyone involved."
The Federal Aviation Administration said the midair collision occurred around 9 p.m. EST when a regional jet that had departed from Wichita, Kansas, crashed into a military Blackhawk helicopter while on approach to an airport runway.
In audio from the air traffic control tower around the time of the crash, a controller is heard asking the helicopter, "PAT25 do you have the CRJ in sight," in reference to the passenger aircraft. ...
Trump Guts Key Aviation Safety Committee
www.huffpost.com
Stinky's killing people left and right just like he did in his first rancid presidency.
@#75 ... people were pissed that it was such a half-assed measure. ...
Operation Eagle Claw
en.wikipedia.org
... Operation Eagle Claw (Persian: ) was a failed operation by the United States Armed Forces ordered by U.S. President Jimmy Carter to attempt the rescue of 53 embassy staff held captive at the Embassy of the United States, Tehran, on 24 April 1980.
The operation, one of Delta Force's first,[1] encountered many obstacles and failures and was subsequently aborted. Eight helicopters were sent to the first staging area called Desert One, but only five arrived in operational condition.[2]
One had encountered hydraulic problems, another was caught in a sand storm, and the third showed signs of a cracked rotor blade. During the operational planning, it was decided that the mission would be aborted if fewer than six helicopters remained operational upon arrival at the Desert One site, despite only four being absolutely necessary.[2]
In a move that is still discussed in military circles, the field commanders advised President Carter to a ...
But...
Let's get back to the thread topic ...
American Airlines jet and helicopter collide, crash into Washington's Potomac River
www.reuters.com
... An American Airlines regional passenger jet and a U.S. Army Black Hawk helicopter crashed into the Potomac River after a midair collision near Reagan Washington National Airport on Wednesday night, officials said.
The Washington Post, citing sources, said multiple bodies had been pulled from the water. No survivors had so far been found, the newspaper reported. Senator Ted Cruz of Texas said on social media that "we know there are fatalities," though he did not say how many.
American Airlines confirmed that 64 people were aboard the jet - including 60 passengers and four crew members. Three soldiers were aboard the helicopter, a U.S. official said.
Some friends, family and relatives of passengers gathered at Reagan Washington National seeking more information.
One woman told an airport official, "I don't know if she got on there or not," in apparent reference to a passenger on the crashed jet. She then collapsed in tears.
The U.S. Army said in a statement that it could "confirm that the aircraft involved in tonight's incident was an Army UH-60 helicopter out of Fort Belvoir, Virginia. We are working with local officials and will provide additional information once it becomes available." ...
The military industrial complex, at it again. What did George Washington say about overgrown military establishments being hostile to liberty?
Recent aberrant behavior of military pilots:
www.youtube.com
Old mid-air between a poorly-functioning F-4 and and an airliner:
en.wikipedia.org
Generally, it's a safe bet that the military pilots are less experienced than the civilian pilots that they kill. But, of course, military pilots are glorious heroes.
United Airlines leads air lobbying as FAA bill stalls (2023)
rollcall.com
... United Airlines outspent its competitors in federal lobbying through the third quarter as it opposes a proposal that would add more flights to Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport.
The airline industry and its affiliates have spent tens of millions of dollars on lobbying so far in 2023, marked by a post-pandemic surge in flight travel that exacerbated an air traffic controller shortage and consumer frustration with flight delays, cancellations and fees. ...
Full List of Lawmakers Who Voted to Increase Flights at Reagan Airport
www.newsweek.com
... Lawmakers had previously raised concerns about increasing the number of flights to and from Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport before Wednesday's midair collision.
Senators from Virginia and Maryland spoke out against the proposals included in the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Reauthorization Act, which was approved by Congress in 2024.
Newsweek has contacted the FAA for comment via email.
Why It Matters
Although there are no indications that the increase in flights played a role in the accident involving a passenger jet colliding with a military helicopter, questions continue to be raised about how the crash -- which may have resulted in the deaths of 67 people -- occurred. ...
The bill received overwhelming bipartisan support. It first cleared the House in July 2023 by a vote of 351-69. The Senate passed the bill with some amendments by a vote of 88-4 in May 2024. The House then approved the amended bill last May by 387-26.
Before it was approved by the upper chamber, Democratic Senators Mark R. Warner and Tim Kaine of Virginia and Ben Cardin and Chris Van Hollen of Maryland issued a joint statement condemning an addition to the FAA Reauthorization Act that would allow five incoming and five outgoing flights at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport.
The senators said the increase in flights would overburden the already congested main runway and "increase the risk of a serious accident there."
Kaine also warned of the potential for collisions if more flights were approved for the busy airport while speaking to reporters last year.
"God forbid waking up and looking in a mirror one day and saying, 'Wow, I was warned. I was warned, and I shouldn't have done this,'" Kaine said. ...
