USA US Federal Aviation Administration: Aircraft collided with helicopter

SDA

30.1.2025 - 04:47

A helicopter flies with its searchlight over the Potomac River near Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport. Photo: Alex Brandon/AP/dpa
A helicopter flies with its searchlight over the Potomac River near Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport. Photo: Alex Brandon/AP/dpa
Keystone

A passenger plane collided in mid-air with a US military helicopter in the air crash near the US capital airport in Washington.

Keystone-SDA

This was reported by the FAA. According to the report, it was an American Airlines Bombardier CRJ700 aircraft coming from the state of Kansas. The airline told CNN that there were 60 passengers and four crew members on board.

According to the FAA, the helicopter was a Sikorsky H-60, a model from a family of military multi-purpose helicopters. A well-known variant of this type is the Black Hawk. It has room for about a dozen passengers.

It initially remained unclear how many people were on board the two aircraft and the extent of the accident. "There is no confirmed information on the number of victims," said the Washington police at X. A large-scale rescue operation is underway. According to NBC News, the Federal Bureau of Investigation said there was no evidence of criminality or terrorism.

Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport was closed after the crash on Wednesday evening (local time). This was announced by the responsible fire department and Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport. The fire department spoke of a crash "near the Potomac River". Fire department boats were on site. It has been very cold in Washington recently. The river on which the US capital is located was frozen in parts.

"All take-offs and landings have been halted at DCA," the airport explained on Platform X. The terminal will remain open for the time being. Further information will be provided shortly.

A video went viral on X showing a large fireball. It was not initially possible to clarify whether this was actually the aircraft in question.