No survivors found after Wichita plane crashed in Washington, D.C. Here’s what we know
A commercial airliner from Wichita collided with an Army Black Hawk helicopter over the Potomac River in Washington, D.C., on Wednesday night, producing a fiery explosion and crash that left no apparent survivors.
On Thursday morning D.C. Fire and EMS Chief John Donnelly said authorities were “switching from a rescue operation to a recovery operation,” adding that “we don’t believe there are any survivors.”
American Airlines flight 5342 was approaching Runway 33 at Reagan National Airport (DCA) in Arlington, Virginia, when it collided with a Sikorsky H-60 helicopter, according to the Federal Aviation Administration. All flights out of and landings into DCA were halted, and the debris of the plane and helicopter were in the Potomac River.
The DC-bound plane, a Bombardier CRJ-700, is designed for regional flight and can seat between 68 to 73 passengers. According to American Airlines, 60 passengers and four crew members were on board.
“My sorrow for all of the people and crew on the plane and our military personnel on the helicopter is very deep,” D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser said at a news conference.
Emergency call Wednesday night
The emergency call went out about 8:50 p.m. Eastern Standard Time, according to an audio feed of the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority public safety channel captured on Broadcastify.com.
“Crash, crash, crash! This is an alert 3. Crash, crash, crash! This is an alert 3. Crash, crash, crash! This is an alert 3.”
“Where is the alert 3?”
“It is off the approach into Runway 33. Approach into Runway 33.”
DC Fire and EMS were leading search-and-rescue operations in and around the Potomac, along with several partner organizations, the DC Metropolitan Police Department said. A “casualty collection point” was set up at a boathouse along the river, according to an audio feed at 9:40 p.m.
A steady stream of rescue boats continued to arrive: “I just had a pile of boats pull in,” said a voice at 10:21 p.m. on the audio feed. And at 10:37 p.m.: “I’m headed to the scene with the NTSB (National Transportation Safety Board).”
At an early Thursday news conference, officials said they were still focused on the rescue mission, which was facing frigid temperatures and windy conditions with low visibility. But later in the morning they announced they didn’t anticipate finding any survivors.
Military helicopter on training flight
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy thanked first responders and extended his prayers to families. He said he spoke with President Donald Trump and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth.
The helicopter was on an “annual proficiency training flight” and conducting a required annual night evaluation, Hegseth said in a video statement. He added that the crew had night-vision goggles.
“It was a fairly experienced crew,” Hegseth said.
The military is withholding the names and ranks of the crew for now as next-of-kin are notified, he said.
“When one person dies, it’s a tragedy,” Sen. Roger Marshall of Kansas said late Wednesday. “But when many, many, many people die, it’s an unbearable sorrow. It’s a heartbreak beyond major.”
The helicopter was from Bravo Company, 12th Aviation Battalion, out of Davison Army Airfield, Fort Belvoir, according to an Army spokesperson.
Young figure skaters on board
Several coaches and skaters with the United States figure skating team were on the flight, according to U.S. Figure Skating.
“These athletes, coaches, and family members were returning home from the National Development Camp held in conjunction with the U.S. Figure Skating Championships in Wichita, Kansas,” the organization said in a statement.
U.S. Figure Skating did not immediately provide details about who from the skating community, or how many, were on the flight.
“We are devastated by this unspeakable tragedy and hold the victims’ families closely in our hearts,” the statement said. “We will continue to monitor the situation and will release more information as it becomes available.”
The Russian news agency TASS was reported that Russian-born ice skating coaches and former world champions Yevgenia Shishkova and Vadim Naumov were aboard the flight and were feared dead.
Their son Maxim, a prominent Team USA skater who had competed in Wichita, had not been on the same plane, according to Reuters.
The Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority said several people associated with DCA staff were also victims of the crash.
Upwards of a dozen family members of those on the Wichita flight gathered at DCA Wednesday night in a private staging area. American Airlines is asking those who think they know someone on the Wichita flight to call 1-800-679-8215.
Wednesday night rescue efforts
Emergency responders seemed to be focusing on at least five areas of the Potomac River. A large contingency of first responders was at the banks of the river off the runway of DCA. A second group of first responders was further down the river near the Capital Cove Marina off Joint Base Anacostia-Bolling, where there is a Coast Guard station.
First responders were driving into both the airport and north toward Washington, some carrying trailers with boats. A helicopter also joined the search by 10 p.m. Among 300 people who responded to the crash, some first responders gathered south of the Wichita flight’s intended runway around 9:40 p.m., creating a second response point at DCA.
Helicopters often fly along the Potomac River and the U.S. Coast Guard also has a helicopter hangar at the airport.
“Those who live in the DC area, we see military helicopters fly up and down the river it’s a standard path that they fly,” Duffy said at a Thursday morning news conference. “They’re used to aircraft landing at DCA and there’s a procedure in place because this happens everyday. Something went wrong here.”
Leaders respond
The collision came amid growing concern nationally about close calls in the air. The chair of the National Transportation Safety Board warned in 2023 that the nation’s air traffic safety system was “showing clear signs of strain that we cannot ignore.”
“I have been fully briefed on the terrible accident which just took place at Reagan National Airport. May God Bless their souls,” Trump said in a statement. “Thank you for the incredible work being done by our first responders. I am monitoring the situation and will provide more details as they arise.”
According to the NTSB, the last fatal accident involving a commercial flight in the U.S. was Feb. 12, 2009, when a Bombardier DHC-8 approaching Buffalo-Niagara International Airport crashed into a residence roughly five miles from the airport. Forty-five passengers and four crew members died.
Kansas lawmakers said they were trying to gather information. Sen. Jerry Moran posted on social media that he was in contact with authorities after learning “that a plane inbound from Kansas was involved in a crash at DCA.”
Moran and Marshall were both at DCA late Wednesday. Moran could be seen sitting in the baggage claim area, making calls.
“I don’t know who was on the flight, but I’m afraid it’s going to be people I know,” Marshall said, adding that “it’s going to be a tough, tough several days for all of us.”
Rep. Ron Estes, whose district includes Wichita, on social media called for prayer for the passengers and the first responders.
American Airlines flight
American Airlines took to social media to confirm the crash.
“We’re aware of reports that American Eagle flight 5342, operated by PSA, with service from Wichita, Kansas (ICT) to Washington Reagan National Airport (DCA) has been involved in an incident,” the airline wrote on X. “We will provide information as it becomes available.”
American Airlines CEO Robert Isom left for DC late Wednesday night, along with several other airline officials. In a video briefing, Isom referred to the crash as a “serious accident.”
“This is a difficult day for all of us at American Airlines,” Isom said. “Our efforts now are focused entirely on the needs of our passengers, crew members, partners, first responders, along with their families and loved ones.”
American Airlines is “cooperating fully” with the National Transportation Safety Board, Isom said, along with various local, state and federal agencies conducting emergency response efforts.
“Our cooperation is without pause, and we want to learn everything we can about today’s events,” Isom said.
Two flight attendants were on board the American Airlines flight, according to a statement from the Association of Flight Attendants-CWA.
“While we mobilize to support the families and crews directly affected by this incident, we are also sending strength to all first responders doing everything they can to bring survivors to safety,” CWA president Sara Nelson said Wednesday night. “We ask the public to keep the families in your thoughts and respect efforts to get information to loved ones first as everyone clings to hope for survivors.”
Wichita Mayor Lily Wu shared a message of support Wednesday night for the ongoing rescue efforts and the families of the passengers on both planes.
“As a council, we really want to ask each and every Wichitan, Kansan and American to pray for everyone involved in this incident, whether involved in the incident in DC or those who are helping with the rescue efforts,” Wu said.
The temperature in the Potomac River was 34 degrees Fahrenheit as of 10 a.m. Wednesday, according to the National Weather Service, and at 8 feet deep in some parts, rescue efforts were difficult.
The Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority will hold briefings at DCA hourly into Thursday morning, starting at 12:30 a.m. EST.
DCA will reopen at 11 a.m. at the earliest, with departing flights suspended and arriving flights diverted to Dulles International Airport (IAD). Flights scheduled at IAD and Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport (BWI) will not be affected.
A news briefing will be held at Wichita City Hall at 8 a.m. Thursday, followed by a prayer vigil at noon.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates.
McClatchy reporters Judy L. Thomas, Chance Swaim, Matthew Kelly, Kylie Cameron, Robert Cronkleton and Kendrick Calfee contributed reporting
This story was originally published January 29, 2025 at 10:05 PM with the headline "No survivors found after Wichita plane crashed in Washington, D.C. Here’s what we know."
