A midair collision between an American Airlines airplane and a military helicopter on Wednesday night was seemingly caught on video.
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Footage from a camera mounted on the Kennedy Center building captures what seems to be an aircraft exploding as it descends onto the runway.
VIDEO: Raw video footage of an unconfirmed apparent in air crash of American Airlines flight on approach to the DCA Airport, with a military blackhawk helicopter. pic.twitter.com/3bqVmVgX4X
— Dennis Prager (@FabricioMaslow1) January 30, 2025
Meanwhile, another alleged angle of the devastating collision found its way to social media. Seemingly taken from inside Reagan National Airport, the shaky footage seems to show a smaller aircraft colliding with a plane, leading to an explosion in the air.
Washington DC Plane Crash
— Ahsan Goraya (@ahsangoraya15) January 30, 2025
American Airlines plane ✈️ collided with American Army’s Black Hawk helicopter 🚁 #planecrash #AmericanAirlines #BlackHawk #Washington pic.twitter.com/1ejRebj3da
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) reported that a PSA Airlines Bombardier CRJ700 regional jet and a Sikorsky UH-60 helicopter collided midair while the jet was approaching Runway 33 at Reagan National Airport (DCA) around 9 p.m. local time.
American Eagle Flight 5342, operated by a subsidiary of American Airlines, was traveling from Wichita, Kansas, to Washington, D.C., carrying 60 passengers and four crew members, per a statement from the airline.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth posted a statement on X shortly after midnight Thursday. The statement, issued by a Defense Department spokesperson, confirmed that the U.S. Army UH-60 helicopter was conducting a training exercise out of Fort Belvoir, Virginia, at the time of the incident.
A Massive Rescue and Recovery Effort Launched in the Wake of American Airlines Collision
Following the mid-air collision, a massive rescue operation was launched. After hours of relentless search and rescue efforts, first responders have recovered 30 bodies from the wreckage. Tragically, no survivors have been found.
Washington D.C. Fire Chief John Donnelly informed reporters that the focus is now shifting from a rescue mission to a recovery effort.
“We are now at the point where we are switching from a rescue operation to a recovery operation,” Donnelly explained, per CNN. “We don’t believe there are any survivors.”
Meanwhile, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has revised the reopening schedule for Reagan National Airport. Originally set to remain closed until 5 a.m. Friday, the FAA has now announced the airport will reopen earlier, at 11 a.m. on Thursday.