Tragic loss of international talent on doomed flight

An American Airlines regional jet, carrying 60 passengers and four crew members, collided midair with a U.S. Army Black Hawk helicopter near Reagan Washington National Airport on January 29, 2025, resulting in the aircraft crashing into the Potomac River. The incident occurred around 9 p.m. local time while the jet, American Eagle Flight 5342, was approaching for landing. The helicopter was on a training flight with three soldiers aboard.

No survivors are expected from the crash, with officials confirming at least 28 bodies had been recovered by early morning. The search has since transitioned from rescue to recovery due to the grim reality of the situation. The cold, murky waters of the Potomac, combined with debris spread across three fields in the river, have complicated the recovery efforts.

The plane involved was a Bombardier CRJ700, and the helicopter was a Sikorsky H-60. The crash has been described as one of the deadliest in U.S. aviation history in recent years, drawing comparisons to previous disasters like the 1982 Air Florida Flight 90 crash into the Potomac.

Investigations are underway by the National Transportation Safety Board and the Federal Aviation Administration to determine the cause of this catastrophic event. Reagan National Airport was temporarily closed following the crash, with flights being rerouted to nearby Dulles International Airport.

Skating Champions

Several young figure skaters and coaches for the U.S. Figure Skating Team, who were attending a development camp following the U.S. Figure Skating Championship last week in Wichita, Kansas, have been confirmed to have been traveling on PSA Airlines Flight 5342, which plunged into the Potomac River following a mid-air collision with a US Army training helicopter flight while approaching Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport in Washington D.C. last night.

Among the passengers were Russian-born coaches and former world champions Evgenia Shishkova and Vadim Naumov, along with their skater son who is believed have traveled with them.

“We are devastated by this unspeakable tragedy and hold the victims’ families closely in our hearts. We will continue to monitor the situation and will release more information as it becomes available,” said a spokesman for U.S. Figure Skating.

How it unfolded

A pilot’s thoughts

As a pilot, here is what I think happened:

Facts:
1. American Airlines flight 5432 (LANDING FLIGHT), a CRJ700 operated by PSA airlines, was inbound to runway 33 on whats called “short final”, the last stage of landing, about 400 feet in altitude.
2. An Army Blackhawk training flight PAT25 (HELICOPTER) was flying perpendicular to the flight path of 5432 along the Potomac river. The Potomac is a designated helicopter flight path / flight corridor.
3. PAT25 was flying on Visual Flight Rules (VFR); flight 4532 on Instrument Flight Rules (IFR). This means that flight 5432 had priority and the helicopter should have been constantly looking out visually for other aircraft.
4. Moments before the crash, the DCA tower called to PAT25 and asked them to confirm they had the “[other] aircraft in sight”.
5. PAT25 replied that they had the aircraft in sight.

Opinion:
PAT25 actually had another aircraft, the DEPARTING FLIGHT, in sight, and did not realize PAT25 was descending directly into its flight path.