An American Airlines passenger plane crashed into the Potomac River after colliding midair with a black hawk helicopter over Ronald Reagan International Airport in Washington, D.C., the Federal Aviation Administration announced Wednesday (January 29) via CNN.
The commercial plane was identified as American Airlines Flight 5342, which departed from Wichita, Kansas, earlier on Wednesday and was a PSA Airlines Bombardier CRJ700 regional jet, according to the FAA. The black hawk chopper was identified as a Sikorsky H-60 helicopter while on approach to the runway at Reagan International Airport.
Several videos shared online showed footage of the collision and the aftermath of the crash.
A Washington D.C. Metropolitan Police Department helicopter was assisting in the multi-agency response, the department confirmed while also specifying that its chopper was not the one involved in the crash prior to the FAA update.
“MPD is responding to an apparent air crash in the Potomac River. Multiple agencies are responding. Details to come,” the department wrote on its X account. “MPD’s helicopter is NOT involved in this incident and is currently assisting in the multi-agency response. A multi-agency search and rescue operation is underway in the Potomac River after aircraft crash. Updates to follow.”
The department said there were no confirmed casualties at the time of publication Wednesday night. Reagan Airport confirmed that “all takeoffs and landings have been halted at DCA” in a post shared on its X account.
THIS IS A DEVELOPING STORY AND WILL BE UPDATED.
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