Midair Collision in Washington DC

[Yazata]

The aircraft involved were an American Airlines Bombardier CRJ commercial jet from Wichita KS that was landing at Reagan National Airport that struck an Army H60 VIP helicopter. Video appears to show the helicopter cutting in front of the jet as the jet was approaching the airport, then a bright flash and objects falling into the Potomac river.

From the live coverage, they might not be sure where the plane went down.

Below, PAT 25 is the helicopter, JIA 5342 is the airliner on final approach that was moving diagonally from the lower right up towards the runway.

The 'PAT' (Priority Air Transport) helicopters are VIP transports. It's believed that they often fly generals to and from the Pentagon.

I'm inclined to think that the collision was the fault either of the helicopter or of air traffic control.

[Image: GigdOc6agAA5yj0?format=png&name=small]

[Syne]

I would think the helicopter should be aware of the glide paths leading into the airfield.

[Yazata]

I would think the helicopter should be aware of the glide paths leading into the airfield.

Definitely.

There are recordings of the tower asking the helicopter if they saw the airliner. The helicopter didn't reply and then another pilot exclaimed, 'Tower, did you see that?' The tower immediately started diverting flights.

The military says that there were no VIPs on the helicopter which had a crew of three.

[Syne]

On the VFR Sectional, that entire area is the airports airspace, from the surface up to 10,000 ft.. So if the helicopter was not in contact with the tower, that's a huge problem.

Looks like the standard helicopter route through there hugs the East bank of the Potomac. The track you posted looks like it veered into a lower altitude of the glide path.

[C C]

2025 Potomac River mid-air collision
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2025_Potom..._collision

[Magical Realist]

Donald Dickhead blames DEI hiring of the FAA and Biden for the crash. What a pathetic lying-ass troll..

"The briefing comes after American Eagle Flight No. 5342, which took off from Wichita, Kansas, with 60 passengers and four crew members on board, collided Wednesday night with an Army Black Hawk helicopter carrying three soldiers near Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport.

Mr. Trump said he was immediately appointing an acting commissioner to the Federal Aviation Administration, Christopher Rocheleau. Mr. Trump noted that the collision happened on a "very clear night" and that "for some reason, adjustments weren't made."


He criticized the Biden administration and attacked diversity initiatives, claiming that he had increased standards for those who work within aviation.

"I put safety first. Obama, Biden and the Democrats put policy first," Mr. Trump claimed.

He took aim at what he claimed was an "FAA diversity push includes focus on hiring people with severe intellectual and psychiatric disabilities. That is amazing, and then it says FAA says people with severe disabilities are most underrepresented segment of the workforce, and they want them in, and they want them. They can be air traffic controllers. I don't think so," he said.

"Brilliant people have to be in those positions," he said. "....And you need a very special talent, and a very special genius, to be able to do it."

Mr. Trump and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, also at the briefing, seemed to suggest that hires made based under DEI policies played a role in the crash, but acknowledged it is not clear at this point in the investigation where fault may lie. Asked directly how he came to the conclusion that diversity had something to do with the crash, Mr. Trump replied, "because I have common sense."

The president's comments drew harsh criticism from the top Democrat in the Senate. "It's one thing for internet pundits to spew off conspiracy theories, it's another for the president of the United States to throw out idle speculation as bodies are still being recovered and families still being notified," Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said. "It just turns your stomach."

[stryder]

Donald Dickhead blames DEI hiring of the FAA and Biden for the crash. What a pathetic lying-ass troll..

"The briefing comes after American Eagle Flight No. 5342, which took off from Wichita, Kansas, with 60 passengers and four crew members on board, collided Wednesday night with an Army Black Hawk helicopter carrying three soldiers near Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport.

Mr. Trump said he was immediately appointing an acting commissioner to the Federal Aviation Administration, Christopher Rocheleau. Mr. Trump noted that the collision happened on a "very clear night" and that "for some reason, adjustments weren't made."


He criticized the Biden administration and attacked diversity initiatives, claiming that he had increased standards for those who work within aviation.

"I put safety first. Obama, Biden and the Democrats put policy first," Mr. Trump claimed.

He took aim at what he claimed was an "FAA diversity push includes focus on hiring people with severe intellectual and psychiatric disabilities. That is amazing, and then it says FAA says people with severe disabilities are most underrepresented segment of the workforce, and they want them in, and they want them. They can be air traffic controllers. I don't think so," he said.

"Brilliant people have to be in those positions," he said. "....And you need a very special talent, and a very special genius, to be able to do it."

Mr. Trump and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, also at the briefing, seemed to suggest that hires made based under DEI policies played a role in the crash, but acknowledged it is not clear at this point in the investigation where fault may lie. Asked directly how he came to the conclusion that diversity had something to do with the crash, Mr. Trump replied, "because I have common sense."

The president's comments drew harsh criticism from the top Democrat in the Senate. "It's one thing for internet pundits to spew off conspiracy theories, it's another for the president of the United States to throw out idle speculation as bodies are still being recovered and families still being notified," Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said. "It just turns your stomach."

It could be said that the Crash happened because of Trump as if people weren't so worried about what stupid shit he comes out with next (that could effect their livelihood) they would of been able to concentrate on their job.

[Yazata]

Here is the best video of the collision that I've seen yet.

The helicopter is approaching from the left and appears to fly right into the airliner. The airliner can be seen tumbling on all of its axes as it falls into the Potomac river. Hard to tell what we are seeing after the impact from the video, but the airliner certainly wasn't intact (missing large parts of wing and/or fuselage, hard to tell from the video) and was no longer flying in a controlled aerodynamic fashion after the collision.

https://x.com/stillgray/status/1885300723845411162

[Yazata]

The FAA has banned all helicopter flights around or over Reagan National Airport in Washington DC. Given the terrible congestion of that airspace, that ban probably should have happened before now.

[Syne]

It's been reported that the Reagan National Airport control tower has been understaffed for years now.