Passenger plane collides with helicopter near Washington airport

Lights from emergency vehicles and boats are seen near Reagan National Airport in Washington, DC, after an air crash near the Potomac River on January 29, 2025. Multiple crews were responding Wednesday after an "apparent air crash" in the Potomac River in Washington, with Reagan National Airport reporting closed runways due to an ongoing emergency.

WASHINGTON, United States — A regional jet from Kansas crashed into Washington's Potomac River after colliding mid-air with a military helicopter near Reagan National Airport, officials said Wednesday, prompting a major emergency response and grounding all flights.

President Donald Trump "has been made aware of this situation and tragically it appears that a military helicopter collided with a regional jet," Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said on Fox News.

There was no immediate information about how many people were aboard either aircraft or about casualties.

The Federal Aviation Authority ordered the grounding of all planes at Reagan airport, and Washington's police said on X that "multiple agencies" were responding to the crash site in the Potomac.

Police said fireboats had joined the operation on the chilly Potomac River.

The FAA said a PSA Airlines Bombardier regional jet "collided in midair" with a Sikorsky H-60 helicopter as it approached for landing at Reagan at around 9 pm (0200 GMT). The plane had left from Wichita, Kansas.

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