@wired: An American Airlines jet carrying 60 passengers and four crew members collided midair with a US Army Black Hawk Helicopter near Reagan Washington National Airport outside Washington DC on Wednesday night. American Eagle Flight 5342 was a Bombardier CRJ700 jet operated by PSA from Wichita, Kansas. It was due to land shortly before 9pm ET, but collided with the UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter at about 8:47pm ET. Both aircrafts crashed into the Potomac River. The US Army confirmed the helicopter was on a training flight, with three soldiers reportedly on board. Surveillance footage from the Kennedy Center appears to show the moment the collision took place, followed by a flash of light in the sky. An audio recording from http://LiveATC.net appeared to capture the final communication between the helicopter, callsign PAT25, and air traffic control. "PAT25, do you have a CRJ in sight? PAT25, pass behind the CRJ," an air traffic controller can be heard saying. Another aircraft calling in to air traffic control is then heard to say: "Tower, did you see that?" Officials said 300 first responders were involved in the rescue operation. There is no confirmed report on the number of dead or injured, but CBS News, citing law enforcement sources, reported that 19 bodies had been recovered so far. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said an investigation had been launched by the US Army and Department of Defense. In a post on Truth Social, Donald Trump wrote: “This is a bad situation that looks like it should have been prevented. NOT GOOD!!!” The next update from officials is expected at 7:30am ET. Reagan Washington National Airport is expected to be closed until at least 11am ET. 📷: Getty/Earthcam

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Thursday 30 January 2025 11:00:41 GMT