American Airlines Flight 5342 and a U.S. Army Black Hawk helicopter crashed into each other in midair south of Reagan National Airport in Washington D.C. on the evening of January 29, 2025, converting what should have been an ordinary flight into a tragedy. In one of the worst U.S. air tragedies in recent history, both aircraft plunged into the Potomac River, killing all 67 individuals onboard.
Sixty passengers and four crewmen were aboard Flight 5342, which had been flying from Wichita, Kansas, to Washington, D.C. The Black Hawk, from the 12th Aviation Battalion in Fort Belvoir, was operating in the region for a practice exercise.
The two aircraft crashed together mid-air at 9:47 p.m., just minutes before the jet was ready to land. Witnesses described seeing a flare above before crashing into the dark river.
Powerful currents and icy water temperatures made the search nearly impossible for rescue teams who rushed to the scene. Officials confirmed early on that there were no survivors. Among the deceased are members of the U.S. Figure Skating team, including former world champions Evgenia Shishkova and Vadim Naumov and Lindsey Fields, a Kansas-born beloved biology teacher whose students are now grieving her death. “It’s truly heartbreaking,” Elle Froberg ‘26 shared. “Flying on planes feels very routine until something like this happens – I have my doubts now.”
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) is probing why the crash occurred in closely monitored airspace. Initial reports suggest a possible communications breakdown: The Black Hawk crew did not receive a critical air traffic control message because the transmission was unclear. Due to this being one of the most complicated airspaces in the nation, it is possible that misunderstandings and miscommunications — that may seem small — can lead to disasters.
The crash has also been a political flashpoint. Answering questions from reporters the following day, President Trump stated Federal Aviation Administration diversity regulations could have brought about the tragedy. “I have common sense, OK?” he responded when asked about this statement. Officials have cautioned against making such remarks before the NTSB reports its findings.
Tributes and memorials have begun to pop up throughout the country as families heal, especially in military circles and figure skating communities. It is a heartbreaking reminder of how quickly things, such as this evening, can change and turn into something that brings national sorrow.
