At least 40 bodies have been recovered from the Potomac River after a Black Hawk helicopter and a passenger jet crashed into each other in midair. The D.C. plane crash, which took place on Wednesday, January 29, 2025, happened over the Potomac River near Washington DC’s Ronald Reagan Airport. Here’s all the information you need about the ill-fated collision.
The nation was thrown into mourning after news of a crash filtered in on Wednesday. The plane involved was an American Airlines jet—a Bombardier CRJ700, which took off from Wichita, Kansas, as American Airlines flight 5342.
The Black Hawk, which was from the United States Army, had traveled from Fort Belvoir, Virginia. The military helicopter was a Sikorsky H-60 belonging to B Company, 12th Aviation Battalion. It has been confirmed that the helicopter was on a training flight.
Authorities have obtained footage of the crash, which was captured by a live stream camera. The camera was stationed at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. The video which has been making the rounds showed a big bust of fire from an explosion over the Potomac River. The incident was captured at 8:47 p.m. Eastern.
The footage also included audio of air traffic control conversations, showing that both pilots were aware of each other’s presence. The audio recordings also showed that a controller tried to warn the Black Hawk pilot about the American Airlines plane.
Despite that, the helicopter pilot acknowledged the presence of the American Airlines plane, and both aircraft crashed into each other just seconds later. During a Thursday press briefing, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth disclosed that the helicopter was undergoing a yearly proficiency flight and had all the necessary equipment.
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What Caused the D.C Crash?
Although the cause of the crash is still unknown, authorities have successfully retrieved the black boxes, the flight data recorder, and the cockpit voice recorder. Initial reports showed that the helicopter was flying higher than its authorized altitude. However, an investigation into the cause of the collision is still in progress.
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) is currently analyzing the black boxes. The analysis is taking place at their lab, which is about a mile away from the site of the crash. One of the eyewitnesses who was interviewed by newsmen said the plane’s approach seemed normal until it drifted hard to the right.
Thereafter, he noticed “streams of sparks” along the belly of the aircraft. Another eyewitness spoke about seeing a “white flare” in the sky during the moment of the crash. After the collision, the jet disintegrated into multiple pieces, falling into the river and sinking to depths of 5 to 8 feet.
Although it didn’t sink and was mostly intact, authorities found the helicopter upside down on the water. Soon after, many rescue teams were scouring the water on rubber boats in search of survivors.
The terrain was an unusual one, too. There were lots of ice floating on the river. First responders were also obstructed by floating pieces of the plane’s wreckage.
Who Are the Victims of the D.C. Crash?
According to a report from the Department of Defense, there were three soldiers onboard the Black Hawk helicopter. But all the passengers are yet to be identified. Aside from the black boxes and the corpses, divers have also recovered luggage from the river.
We also know that among the victims of the crash were some figure skaters from the United States and Russia. Six of the victims were linked to the Skating Club of Boston. Some of the confirmed victims include skating coaches Vadim Naumov and Evgenia Shishkova.
Naumov and Shishkova were both renowned Russian figure skaters. They were former world champions, having clinched the gold medal at the 1994 World Figure Skating Championship in Chiba, Japan. Others are Jinna Han and Spencer Lane, who were athletes. Their mothers, Jin Han and Christine Lane, were also killed in the D.C plane crash.
They were all returning from the National Development Camp, an offshoot of the U.S Figure Skating Championships in Wichita, Kansas. Naumov, 55, and Shishkova, 52, had been coaching at the camp.
Another passenger who died in the crash was Asra Hussain Raza. She was a 26-year-old graduate of Colombia University and the University of Indiana. She had recently moved to Washington, D.C., to take up a consulting role. The aircraft collided on her way home from a work trip.
Also onboard the plane were four members of the Steamfitters United Association Local 602. This is a labor union based in Maryland. The helicopter’s crew chief was Ryan O’Hara, 29. He was a husband and a father to a one-year-old son.
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Were There Any D.C Plane Crash Survivors?
According to Chief John Donelly, head of the District of Colombia Fire and Emergency Medical Services, the department’s motive has changed. What was initially intended to be a rescue has now evolved into a recovery operation. So far, there have been no survivors as bodies continue to emerge from the icy river.
“We don’t believe there are any survivors,” Donelly said during a Thursday morning news briefing. “It’s a highly complex operation; the conditions out there are extremely rough for the responders. It’s cold. They’re dealing with relatively windy conditions,” he continued.
President Donald Trump has reacted to the sad incident. He briefed the nation at the White House on Thursday morning. He confirmed that there were no survivors and lamented the former administration’s diversity programs, which he blamed for the mishap.
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