Search and rescue efforts were underway in the Potomac River after a plane carrying 64 people collided with a Black Hawk helicopter Wednesday night while trying to land at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport outside Washington, D.C. All flights at the airport were grounded.
“A PSA Airlines Bombardier CRJ700 regional jet collided in midair with a Sikorsky H-60 helicopter while on approach to Runway 33 at Reagan Washington National Airport around 9 p.m. local time,” the Federal Aviation Administration said in a statement. The FAA said the plane operated by American Airlines had taken off from Wichita, Kansas.
CBS News learned that the plane was carrying 60 passengers and four crewmembers.
A Defense Department official told CBS News three soldiers were aboard the Black Hawk helicopter, with no senior officials on board.
In a statement provided to CBS News, American Airlines said that it was “aware of reports that American Eagle flight 5342, operated by PSA, with service from Wichita, Kansas (ICT) to Washington Reagan National Airport (DCA) has been involved in an incident.”
Rescue teams searching for survivors in the Potomac are racing against time as water temperatures hover around 35 degrees—posing extreme danger to anyone submerged.
The National Weather Service warns that sudden immersion can trigger cold shock, causing panic, hyperventilation, and even heart failure. In water, this cold, dexterity is lost in just 3 minutes, and unconsciousness can occur within 15 to 30 minutes. With survival times ranging from just 30 to 90 minutes, every second counts.
Multiple sources and an Army official told CBS News that an Army Black Hawk was involved in the collision. Speaking on Fox News, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said President Trump had “been made aware of the situation.”
“Tragically, it appears that a military helicopter collided with a regional jet at DCA airport right here in Washington, D.C.,” she said.
A live stream camera at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., captured the moment of the collision. CBS News verified the video, which shows an explosion in the Potomac River area at 8:47 p.m.
The District of Columbia Fire and Emergency Medical Services Department reported in a social media post that a small aircraft crashed in the Potomac River in the “vicinity” of the airport.
The FBI told CBS News that the incident was not considered a criminal event.
The D.C. Police Department stated multiple agencies were “coordinating a search and rescue operation in the Potomac River.”
The airport also said in a post on X that all takeoffs and landings at DCA had been halted.
“Emergency personnel are responding to an aircraft incident on the airfield. The terminal remains open,” the airport said.
The Metropolitan Police Department said on social media that it was assisting in the response and that the helicopter involved in the crash was not one of its own.