Overview
On January 29, 2025, at 8:47 p.m., a Bombardier CRJ700 airliner and a United States Army Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter collided in mid-air over the Potomac River in Washington, D.C. The collision occurred at an altitude of approximately 300 feet (100 m) and about half a mile from the threshold of runway 33 at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport in Arlington, Virginia.
Aircraft
The airliner, operating as American Airlines Flight 5342, was a Bombardier CRJ700. The helicopter, operating as Priority Air Transport 25, was a Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk assigned to the United States Army.
Collision
The two aircraft collided over the Potomac River while the airliner was on approach to the airport. The impact occurred at low altitude, near the approach path to runway 33. Emergency response efforts were initiated immediately after the collision.
Casualties
All 64 passengers and crew on the airliner, along with all three crew members on the helicopter, were killed in the crash. The total number of fatalities was 67.
Context
This accident marked the first major US commercial passenger flight crash since Colgan Air Flight 3407 in 2009. It was also the deadliest US air disaster since American Airlines Flight 587 in 2001. Additionally, it was the third hull loss and the first fatal accident involving the CRJ700 series.