Subhechcha Ganguly 
A midair collision occurred Wednesday night between an American Airlines regional jet and a military Black Hawk helicopter while the plane was landing at Reagan Washington National Airport, according to the Associated Press. The Federal Aviation Administration confirmed the crash took place around 9 p.m. ET when the regional jet, traveling from Wichita, Kansas, struck the helicopter as it was approaching the runway.
Search and rescue operations are underway near the Potomac River, with teams from the DC Fire Department, police, and the U.S. Coast Guard involved in the recovery efforts. Authorities have reported recovering multiple bodies from the river, as reported by The Washington Post, citing unnamed sources.
President Donald Trump issued a statement expressing his condolences: “I have been fully briefed on the terrible accident which just took place at Reagan National Airport. May God bless their souls. Thank you for the incredible work being done by our first responders. I am monitoring the situation and will provide more details as they arise.”
Newly confirmed Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth stated that the Pentagon is “actively monitoring” the situation. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy also confirmed that he was at FAA headquarters and is “closely monitoring” developments. U.S. Senator Ted Cruz mentioned that there were fatalities in the crash, though the exact number of people on board remains unknown. “While we don’t yet know how many on board were lost, we know there are fatalities,” Cruz wrote on X.
The National Transportation Safety Board announced it is gathering more details on the incident.
