Military Helicopter Collides with American Airlines Flight in DC – “NOT GOOD”

Military helicopter collides with an American flight from Kansas in DC airport.  “NOT GOOD”.

Last night we learned of a collision in DC:

An American Airlines jet, flying from Wichita, Kan., plunged into the Potomac River after it collided with an Army Black Hawk helicopter. There were 64 people on the plane, and three on the helicopter.

President Trump shared last night:

The airplane was on a perfect and routine line of approach to the airport. The helicopter was going straight at the airplane for an extended period of time. It is a CLEAR NIGHT, the lights on the plane were blazing, why didn’t the helicopter go up or down, or turn. Why didn’t the control tower tell the helicopter what to do instead of asking if they saw the plane. This is a bad situation that looks like it should have been prevented. NOT GOOD!!!

This morning we learned that Russian figure skaters were on the flight:

Rescuers were searching the frigid Potomac River early Thursday after a commercial jet carrying 64 people collided in midair with a U.S. Army helicopter and crashed into the water near Reagan National Airport outside Washington, D.C.

The authorities have not given an official count of casualties or bodies recovered. But officials indicated that there could be many fatalities. Some of those aboard the plane were figure skaters flying from Wichita, Kan., which had hosted the national figure skating championships this month. Russian figure skaters were also among the passengers, the Kremlin said.

There were signs that a collision was possible to the air traffic controller.

#BREAKING: Radar playback straight from official Air Traffic Control .
The ‘CA’ (Collision Alert) isn’t an imminent crash warning, but a tool to sharpen controllers’ focus. #AmericanAirlines #ATC #BlackHawk pic.twitter.com/S8pfNkOKgj

— Jamal Amin (@JamalibnAmin) January 30, 2025

Here is the collision and explosion –

On the DC midair accident — I’m a certificated commercial pilot and accredited master flight instructor, here’s my take:

The entire reason the airspace and air traffic controllers exist is to separate traffic. This is the entire basis of our air traffic control system (NAS),… pic.twitter.com/Y54HAmkGYK

— Chris Palmer (@ChristheAV8R) January 30, 2025

If this video is legit, this helicopter appears to be looking for a plane to hit.

Here is a track of the helicopter from VIRGINIA that would eventually crash into the CRJ at National Airport Reagan in DC. Terrible accident. Helicopter came from Langley area. #planecrash . 60 souls onboard and 4 crew members. pic.twitter.com/hRX7QtNQrQ

— (@dansonmukile) January 30, 2025

Here is a video of from air traffic control of the event –

LISTEN to ATC audio of American 5342 as Reagan tower clears them to land, advises PAT25 helicopter to watch for traffic, and then alarm hits tower as they watch the collision unfold and both aircraft fall into the river. pic.twitter.com/KZC91vXg2r

— Tyler Anderson, MD (@DoctorTyMD) January 30, 2025

Here is more on the accident from Sky News in Australia.

‘It has resulted in a tragic accident and the loss of a lot of lives’

Military analyst Sean Bell provides his assessment of what might have happened to cause the plane crash in Washington DC.https://t.co/5E01WpPtBB

Sky 501, Virgin 602, Freeview 233 and YouTube pic.twitter.com/rYxXH6PHjF

— Sky News (@SkyNews) January 30, 2025