On January 29, 2025, an American Airlines Bombardier CRJ700 carrying 64 people and a Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter carrying three people collided over the Potomac River, killing 67 people. The Bombardier CRJ700, operated as American Airlines 5342 was making its final approach at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA) in Washington D.C that night on route from Wichita Dwight D. Eisenhower National Airport in Wichita, Kansas. At around 8:47 P.M., the previously mentioned Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter, operated by the 12th Aviation Battalion of the U.S Army, struck the side of American Airlines 5342. Footage from the nearby Kennedy Center shows the airliner bursting into flames after being struck by the helicopter before crashing into the river. Not even 24 hours after the incident, all 64 individuals on board American Airlines 5342 and all 3 individuals on board the Black Hawk helicopter were presumed dead. This marked the deadliest U.S. aviation disaster since November 2001, and the first fatal crash in the United States since February 2009.
Immediately after the crash, investigations were opened up by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), and the U.S. Army. Investigations are still in progress, but the NTSB has concluded that Air-traffic control (ATC) was understaffed at DCA that evening, and that the helicopter was at least 100 feet above its maximum height around the airport. The NTSB has also concluded that American Airlines 5342 likely changed its pitch, or nose position, at the last moment in order to attempt to avoid the helicopter. President Donald Trump addressed the media surrounding the matter the next day, blaming former president Joe Biden and former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg for the disaster, implying that the Biden Administration had pushed policies to allow diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) hires into ATC, including individuals with conditions such as hearing impairment or vision loss. However, these claims have not been confirmed by any government investigation.
At Winter Springs High School, aviation enthusiasts have discussed the matter, including Sophomore Zechariah Cartledge, who stated “…It was an accident waiting to happen…[Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport] is very tightly crammed and congested right next to forbidden airspace. I’m confident though that this was a fluke accident…” The nation as a whole has been shocked by the disaster, and many may begin questioning the safety of air travel. Hopefully, federal investigations will ensure that a tragedy like this will never happen again.
