The media has published new details regarding the mid-air collision between a passenger plane and a military helicopter in Washington. At the time of the incident, the airport did not have a full shift of air traffic controllers. According to preliminary reports from the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), cited by The New York Times and reported by the national portal Adyrna, the collision occurred at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport while the control tower was understaffed. A single air traffic controller was responsible for coordinating both helicopter movements and aircraft landings.
The report highlights that one of the key factors complicating coordination was the shortage of personnel, as pilots of planes and helicopters use different radio frequencies and cannot always hear each other.
Additionally, Todd Inman, a representative of the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), stated at a press conference that the investigation into the plane and helicopter crash would continue until the full causes are determined.
“Our goal is not only to understand what happened but also why it happened and what measures can be taken to prevent such incidents in the future. We are just beginning our investigation, and we do not yet have much information, but we will provide regular updates,” he said.
He added that the investigation team would remain at the crash site until all critical evidence was collected.
“We plan to release a preliminary report within 30 days, but final conclusions will only be made after the full investigation is completed,” the NTSB representative stated, emphasizing that they would not speculate on the possible causes of the crash at this time.
Meanwhile, rescue teams have recovered the bodies of 18 victims from the Potomac River near Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, following the collision between an American Airlines passenger plane and a Black Hawk military helicopter.
According to CNN, no survivors were found in the river, and rescue operations are still ongoing.
American Airlines confirmed that the aircraft carried 60 passengers and four crew members. The company has opened a hotline for the relatives of the deceased.
The U.S. Department of Defense reported to CNN that there were three military personnel on board the Black Hawk helicopter.
U.S. President Donald Trump stated that he was “fully informed” about the crash and is closely monitoring the situation. He assured that new information would be released as soon as it became available.
U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth posted on X (formerly Twitter) that the Pentagon is “actively monitoring the situation” and is ready to provide assistance if needed.
According to the FAA, the passenger plane, which had departed from Wichita, Kansas, collided mid-air with the military Black Hawk helicopter at approximately 9:00 PM Eastern Standard Time (02:00 GMT). As a result, Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport suspended all takeoffs and landings.
The crash of the Bombardier CRJ700 aircraft occurred late at night on January 30. The plane was approaching Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport for landing when it collided with the military Black Hawk helicopter over the Potomac River. The helicopter was conducting a training flight at the time of the accident.