What Caused the Washington Plane Crash That Killed 67 People

Last Updated on 1 month by abdirahman dahir

WASHINGTON, Jan 30 – U.S. officials Said on Thursday that the cause of a regional jet’s collision with a U.S. Army helicopter at a Washington airport remains unclear. The crash, which claimed 67 lives, marks the deadliest U.S. air disaster history in over two decades.

The Investigation into the crash in the nation’s capital city has just begun. An American Airlines Bombardier jet, carrying 60 passengers and four crew members, collided with a U.S. Army Black Hawk helicopter before falling steeply into the Potomac River while preparing to land at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport on Wednesday night.

There were no survivors. While the list of the victims has not been yet released, they included promising young figure skaters and passengers from Kansas, where the flight originated.

Senator Maria Cantwell stated that the victims included citizens from Germany, the Philippines, and Russia, while Chinese state media Xinhua reported that two Chinese nationals were also among those killed in the crash.

Investigators have recovered the cockpit voice recorder and flight data recorder from the Bombardier CRJ700 passenger jet. The National Transportation Safety Board Said. A preliminary report on the incident is expected within 30 days.

NTSB member Todd Inman Said that the military helicopter was equipped with “some form of recording devices,” which will be analysed by either the Department of Defence (DOD) or the NTSB. He added that both agencies have agreements to share data from those recorders.

The agency has started gathering remains, including parts of the helicopter, and is storing them in a large building at Reagan National. Washington’s fire and emergency department stated that its divers had searched all accessible areas and would continue efforts on Friday to recover additional aircraft components.

U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy confirmed that both aircraft were following standard flight patterns on Wednesday and that there was no communication breakdown between them.

“Everything was normal until the point of the accident,” Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin told Reuters. He also mentioned that more than half of the bodies had been recovered. The airport is located near the river, across from Washington in Virginia.

President Donald Trump, Without Provide a Clear evidence, Suggested that federal diversity initiatives may have played a critical role, echoing a recurring theme of his presidency. However, rights groups and democrats criticized him for politicizing the tragedy.

Trump also criticized the helicopter pilots and implied that air traffic controllers might be at fault.

Radio communications revealed that air traffic controllers warned the helicopter about the approaching jet and instructed it to change direction.

On Wednesday night at Reagan National, one controller, instead of two, was managing both plane and helicopter traffic. While this was considered “not normal,” it was deemed adequate for the lower volume of traffic, according to a source familiar with the situation.

The decision to combine duties in the evening is normal, the source stated. The New York Times was the first to report the “not normal” designation.

A shortage of air traffic controllers in the United States in recent years has raised safety concerns. At several facilities, controllers are working compulsory overtime and six-day work weeks to address the shortfall. The Federal Aviation Administration reports a shortage of about 3,000 controllers from the number it requires.

Jam-packed Flight Corridor:

Airspace around the U.S. capital is often congested because of the presence of three commercial airports and several major military facilities. Officials have stated concerns about the busy runways at Reagan National Airport, where several close calls have raised alarms, including a near-collision in May 2024.

_{^{An American Eagle plane flies at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, in the aftermath of the collision of American Eagle flight 5342 and a Black Hawk helicopter that crashed into the Potomac River, in Arlington, Virginia, U.S., January 30, 2025.}}

_{^{U.S. President Donald Trump pauses for a moment of silence to recognize crash victims as he speaks to reporters about Wednesday’s deadly midair collision between a U.S. Army Black Hawk helicopter and American Eagle flight 5342 near Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, in the Brady Press…}}

Trump accused his Democratic predecessor, Joe Biden, of lowering hiring standards and suggested that the Federal Aviation Administration’s diversity initiatives might have co-operated its effectiveness.

The Trump administration has not provided any evidence to support those claims, and there is no proof that efforts to diversify the federal workforce have compromised air safety.

Since taking office on January 20, Trump has swiftly moved to rip to pieces federal diversity initiatives, drawing criticism from rights advocates who are concerned he is reversing the progress the United States has made in addressing its history of discrimination.

“The President has made his decision to prioritize politics over people abundantly clear, using the highest office in the land to spread hatred based on falsehoods instead of offering the leadership we need and deserve,” said Derrick Johnson, president of the NAACP civil rights group, in a statement.

Trump referenced FAA policies which stated that physical and mental disabilities alone would not disqualify applicants for air traffic controller positions. These policies were in effect throughout Trump’s first term from 2017 to 2021, according to aides to Biden’s transportation secretary, Pete Buttigieg.

Buttigieg called Trump’s comments “despicable,” adding, “As families mourn, Trump should be leading, not lying,” on social media.

Cause of Crash Remains Unclear

Trump’s remarks stood in stark contrast to those of other officials, who stated that there was no immediate indication as to why the crash occurred.

American Airlines CEO Robert Isom confirmed that the pilot of American Eagle Flight 5342 had approximately six years of flying experience. The Bombardier jet was operated by PSA Airlines, a regional subsidiary.

Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth stated that the helicopter was piloted by a “fairly experienced crew” of three soldiers who were using night-vision goggles during an annual training flight. Officials announced they were grounding other flights from the Army unit involved in the crash and would reconsider training exercises in the area.

Air traffic control recordings seem to capture the final attempted communications with the helicopter, call sign PAT25, just before it collided with the jet.

“PAT25, do you have a CRJ in sight? PAT25, pass behind the CRJ,” an air traffic controller says at 8:47 p.m. ET (0147 GMT) on Wednesday, according to a recording on liveatc.net.

Seconds later, another aircraft contacts air traffic control, saying, “Tower, did you see that?” — likely referring to the crash. An air traffic controller then redirects planes heading to runway 33 to go around.

“I just saw a fireball and then it was just gone. I haven’t seen anything since they hit the river,” an air traffic controller is heard saying.

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