The US Capitol is seen in the distance as a police vehicle blocks the entrance to the Potomac River near Reagan National Airport after an air crash in Washington, DC, on January 29, 2025. (Photo: AFP)
January 29, 2025
WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — A regional jet from Kansas crashed into Washington’s Potomac River after colliding mid-air with a military helicopter near Reagan National Airport, officials said Wednesday, prompting a major emergency response and grounding all flights.
US President Donald Trump “has been made aware of this situation and tragically it appears that a military helicopter collided with a regional jet,” Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said on Fox News.
There was no immediate information about how many people were aboard either aircraft or about casualties.
The Federal Aviation Authority ordered the grounding of all planes at Reagan airport, and Washington’s police said on X that “multiple agencies” were responding to the crash site in the Potomac.
Police said fireboats had joined the operation on the chilly Potomac River.
The FAA said a PSA Airlines Bombardier regional jet “collided in midair” with a Sikorsky H-60 helicopter as it approached for landing at Reagan at around 9 pm (0200 GMT). The plane had left from Wichita, Kansas.