Washington: U.S. authorities confirmed on Thursday that the cause of the deadly collision between a regional jet and a U.S. Army helicopter at a Washington airport remains unclear, leaving investigators with a complex puzzle. The tragic crash, which occurred on Wednesday night, killed all 67 people on board, making it the deadliest U.S. air disaster in over 20 years.
The crash involved an American Airlines Bombardier CRJ700 regional jet, carrying 60 passengers and four crew members, which collided with an Army Black Hawk helicopter before crashing into the Potomac River near Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport. No survivors were found.
While the identities of the victims have not been fully disclosed, officials confirmed that among the deceased were young figure skaters and individuals from Kansas, where the flight originated. Senator Maria Cantwell also revealed that victims included citizens from Russia, the Philippines, Germany, and China, with Chinese state media Xinhua reporting that two Chinese nationals had perished in the incident.
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) confirmed that investigators had recovered the cockpit voice recorder and flight data recorder from the Bombardier jet, which will help uncover the details of the flight’s final moments. A preliminary report on the incident is expected within 30 days.
“We’re also in possession of recording devices from the military helicopter, which will be read either by the Department of Defense or by us,” said NTSB member Todd Inman, noting that both agencies have an agreement to share data from these recorders. The NTSB has started collecting wreckage from the site, with portions of the helicopter being stored at a hangar at Reagan National. Local fire and emergency teams have searched all accessible areas, with additional searches planned for Friday to recover more aircraft components.
U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy stated that both aircraft were operating within standard flight patterns on Wednesday, with no communication breakdowns prior to the crash. “Everything was routine up to the point of the accident,” Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin confirmed, noting that more than half of the bodies had been recovered.
Despite these reassurances, President Donald Trump sparked controversy by suggesting that federal diversity efforts might have played a role in the crash, a claim for which he provided no evidence. His remarks were widely criticized by rights groups and Democrats, who accused him of politicizing the disaster.
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In contrast, officials remained focused on the investigation. Air traffic control communications from the night of the crash revealed that the helicopter, call sign PAT25, was alerted about the approaching jet and instructed to change course. Seconds before the collision, an air traffic controller reportedly said, “PAT25, pass behind the CRJ,” followed by an alarming “I just saw a fireball” after the crash occurred.
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This incident marks the deadliest U.S. air disaster since November 2001, when an American Airlines jet crashed after departing from John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York, claiming the lives of 260 people. Reagan National Airport, located just across the river from Washington, D.C., remains one of the busiest in the country, with more than 800 daily takeoffs and landings.
