Authorities do not expect any of the 60 passengers or 4 crew members on board a regional jet could have survived the crash. 

Authorities have confirmed that 67 people have likely been killed in the plane crash between a regional American Airlines flight and an Army Black Hawk helicopter Wednesday night over the runway at Reagan National Airport in Washington, DC. The plane, which split into two pieces after the impact, landed in icy water close to the southern part of the runway, and search and rescue teams have already recovered the remains of several victims. President Trump released a statement on the crash shortly after it occurred, and an investigation has been launched into potential causes. Flights resumed Thursday morning at Reagan National, considered to be among the busiest airports in the country. 

President Trump, speaking again on the incident Thursday, confirmed official reports that said all aboard both the plane and the helicopter had been killed, and said “it may have been incompetence” that caused the crash. Reed Kimbrough, a former Army helicopter pilot, said night vision goggles could have played a role in the depth perception of the Black Hawk pilot, and pointed out that the helicopter was likely flying above the mandated height of 200 feet, and may have been closer to 300 or 350 feet when it struck the plane.

The National Transportation Safety board said they would perform a full investigation into both the American Airlines flight, the helicopter, as well as the individuals involved in air traffic control at the time. President Trump said his administration will consider whether DEI initiatives at the FAA from Former President Joe Biden’s administration could have played a role as well, although the President did not specify whether they had any evidence of that. 

According to preliminary safety reports from the FAA, staffing at Reagan National the evening of the crash was “not normal for the time of day and volume of traffic.” The airport is one of the busiest in the country, and its runways in the evening are particularly traffic-filled. Early reports from the FAA indicated that the same person in charge of handling flight routes for helicopters was also directing planes. 

A New York Times report explained, “This increases the workload for the air traffic controller and can complicate the job. One reason is that the controllers can use different radio frequencies to communicate with pilots flying planes and pilots flying helicopters. While the controller is communicating with pilots of the helicopter and the jet, the two sets of pilots may not be able to hear each other.”  The report comes during a time of increased incidents involving Army helicopters, according to safety data obtained by the Associated Press.

The Army reported 17 issues – split between 15 flight and 2 ground reports – of helicopters in 2024. This is believed to be the first time an Army helicopter had struck any kind of commercial airline flight. It is likely the largest major airline disaster since 2009. The accident comes 10 days after the former chief of the Federal Aviation Administration resigned, after facing numerous calls to step down.