Arlington, VA…(AP) — A passenger jet collided Wednesday with an Army helicopter while landing at Ronald Reagan National Airport near Washington, prompting a large search-and-rescue operation in the nearby Potomac River.
There was no immediate word on casualties, but all takeoffs and landings from the airport near Washington were halted as helicopters from law enforcement agencies across the region flew over the scene in search of survivors. Inflatable rescue boats were launched into the Potomac River from a point near the airport along the George Washington Parkway, just north of the airport.
President Donald Trump was briefed, his press secretary said, and Vice President JD Vance encouraged followers on the social media platform X to “say a prayer for everyone involved.”
The Federal Aviation Administration said the midair collision occurred around 9 p.m. EST when a regional jet that had departed from Wichita, Kansas, crashed into a military Blackhawk helicopter while on approach to an airport runway.
In audio from the air traffic control tower around the time of the crash, a controller is heard asking the helicopter, “PAT25 do you have the CRJ in sight,” in reference to the passenger aircraft.
“Tower did you see that?” another pilot is heard calling seconds after the apparent collision.
The tower immediately began diverting other aircraft from Reagan.
In a post on social media, American Airlines said it was aware of reports that one of its flights was involved in the incident and said it would provide more information once available.
Video from an observation camera at the nearby Kennedy Center shows two sets of lights consistent with aircraft appearing to join in a fireball.
The airport said emergency personnel were responding to “an aircraft incident on the airfield.”
The incident recalled the crash of an Air Florida flight that plummeted into the Potomac on January 13, 1982, that killed 78 people. That crash was attributed to bad weather.
No other details were immediately available.
Associated Press writers Zeke Miller, Meg Kinnard and Chris Megerian in Washington contributed to this report.
All this chaos of hiring freezes and job “buyouts”… and he just fired the Aviation Safety Committee.
Lmao, job buy outs. Do you think air traffic controlers work from home Gomer?
Man you’re retarded. Are you upset because your senile president was stabbed in the back, replaced by a prostitute and millions of democrats abandoned the socialist party?
Please buy some tissue for your tears….instead of stealing it.
Probably related to the numbskulls out Love Creek, their ignorance is astonishing.
You’re in deep denial of reality. I hope you work that out soon.
This is amazing!!!
Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has rounded up more than 5,500 criminal migrants in less than a week, notching an early milestone in President Trump’s promised clampdown on illegal immigration.
The arrests were the result of scores of coordinated raids around the country, which saw some of the very worst violent offenders clapped in irons after freely roaming the country under the Biden administration.
Those busts included dozens of members of the vicious Venezuelan Tren de Aragua prison gang — as well as multiple MS-13 gang members — at least five “career criminals” nabbed by the Drug Enforcement Administration and scores of others wanted for murder, kidnapping, child molestation and more.
ICE has shared daily “enforcement updates” on X since Jan. 23, outlining their daily arrest totals, as well as detainers lodged — formal requests for inmates to be held until they can be picked up by immigration officials.
Through Tuesday, officials made 5,537 arrests and lodged 4,333 detainers, giving authorities a running start in what is shaping up to be a lengthy and resource-intensive enforcement effort.
The White House — which has imposed a daily quota of at least 75 arrests from each of ICE’s 25 satellite offices — has also been sharing details of some of the high-profile busts around the country.
Here is just a small example the liberal democrats don’t care about being in the country and preying on American citizens.
Edgar De La Cruz-Manzo, a Mexican national convicted of raping a child, was arrested by ICE Seattle on Jan. 25.
An unnamed Jordanian national with suspected ties to terror group ISIS was busted by ICE Buffalo/Rouses Point on Jan. 24.
An unnamed MS-13 gang member wanted for murder from El Salvador was picked up by ICE Los Angeles that same day.
Yared Geremew Mekonnen, an Ethiopian national and convicted sex offender wanted for sexual abuse and kidnapping, was arrested in New Orleans Jan. 24.
Vitor De Sousa-Lima, a Brazilian national previously convicted of manslaughter, was arrested in Boston by ICE agents Jan. 25.
Juan Ojeda Chang, 73, a Cuban national, was arrested by ICE Baltimore on Jan. 26 on drug trafficking and weapons charges.
An unnamed Afghan national slapped with an existing removal order with known or suspected ties to a terror group was busted by ICE San Diego on Jan. 27
ICE has had its hands full, conducting pre-dawn armed raids in every region of the US. But the agency’s work is far from over.
Trump’s newly appointed “border czar” Tom Homan has said deportations targeting violent criminals will continue daily until the estimated 700,000 illegal migrants who have committed crimes are booted from the US — and that sanctuary cities will not be spared.
Homan revealed ICE officers have compiled a “target sheet” of the illegal migrants with criminal records whom they’re looking to arrest and deport — with the goal of nabbing those who pose the most serious threat to public safety first.
The FAA Administrator criticized Space X’s safety record and threatened fines.
Musk demanded he resign.
He did.
On January 20th.
elon musk directed the primary regulator of his primary business — a federal contractor — to resign. he holds no office other than ‘president’s largest donor.’
at an oligarch’s command, he resigned. one week later, the first aviation crash in the last sixteen years happened.
^^^ Well that was stupid, coming from a dumbacrat, how fitting. This is what can happen when you hire a Secretary of Transportetion because you’re way instead of being the best qualified for a job.
Thank you Pete inmy Pete Buttigieg.
^^Thank you for showing us how illiterate you are. On top of that a real class act. Your parents must be so proud.
The sad truth is that these are just the first Americans who will lose their lives under Donald Trump’s plan to replace the Federal workers who protect us every day with his rich cronies.
MAGA
Your loved one is flying one night. You see TV reports of an accident. A Black Hawk from Belvoir. The unit is identified. You know. Next morning, members of Congress and their surrogates spread conspiracies, cite DEI as potential cause. Your loved one is still submerged in the Potomac.
You’re loved one goes out to buy groceries at the local store. Over the News you hear of a mass shooting at the same store your loved one went to. Your heart sinks, knowing that democrats are the ones who have committed the most mass shootings in America and are the overwhelming incarcerated in our federal prison system. You also know the last president who was the worst president in our History let in well over 8,000,000 illegal immigrants, that include some of the most violent gangs in the world, murderers, rapist, sexual predators, pedophiles, and they’re just as dangerous as the democrats in every city. Your loved ones, dying on the filthy grounds because of a mentally ill democrat, a death, a shooting, that they commit everyday, numerous times, day or night. All because their socialist leader wanted more criminals in America who would vote as democraps
My only regret is that Trump wasn’t on the chopper. Solo.
The truth is slowly coming out about the Biden DEI hired, the failures of his administration that Americans will be seeing for years down the road. The likes of millions of illegal immigrants, terrorist, violent gangs, drug pushers, sexual predators that the last administrations open border fiasco has caused.
“Under President Biden Reagan National has been understaffed for many years, with just 19 fully certified controllers as of September 2023 – well below the target of 30 – according to the most recent Air Traffic Controller Workforce Plan submitted to Congress.
FAA Administrator Mike Whitaker resigned because of multiple embarrassing failures on his part the day before Donald Trump took office, well short of the end of his five-year term that started in October 2023 – meaning that there was no head of the federal agency when the terror unfolded last night.
Thanks to you again Dementia Joe and the cult of the Socialist Party of Drag Queens and Convicted Felons
Hey Bucko^^^^this tragedy took place on trumps watch. Bottom line. And that dude probably quit because he knew fuhrer trump would fire him anyways.
Trump-15 seconds of silence, than a cascade of disgusting false accusations. I mean, come on man, Obama’s been gone for what now, going on 9 years? And fat phuck trump is blaming him?????????????????????? Worst leader this country has ever been burdened with. His end can’t come too soon. Which ever way it happens.(Come on Iran, you can do it)