Horrifying footage has been released of the moment American Airlines flight 5342 collided with a Black Hawk helicopter as it approached Ronald Reagan National Airport on Wednesday night.
From The New York Post:
A bright landing light was seen in the distance as a smaller light flew toward the airport before the two aircraft collided.
As the plane made its approach to Runway 33, an orange fireball lit up the horizon when the military chopper collided with the regional jet.
Light from the explosion ripped through the dark night sky before pieces of burning debris from the aircraft fell into the Potomac River below.
The midair crash was caught on video around 9 p.m. from an EarthCam perched atop the Kennedy Center in Washington, DC, pointing south toward the airport beyond the Lincoln Memorial.
Flight 5342, a PSA Airlines Bombardier CRJ700 regional jet operating for the airlines, was on final approach after its two-and-a-half-hour flight from Witchita, Kansas.
There were 60 passengers and four crew aboard the flight, American Airlines confirmed to The Post.
First responders found the plane split in two, lying in approximately 7 feet of water, according to NBC Washington reporter Mark Segraves
This story is developing…
Witness says crash sounded like something out of a 'warzone' pic.twitter.com/D1bMWERE9B
— New York Post (@nypost) January 30, 2025