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Search for victims in D.C. plane crash continues in Potomac River

NTSB officials give an update on the deadly D.C. plane and Black Hawk helicopter collision 33:37

What to know about the Washington, D.C., plane crash

  • An American Airlines plane with 60 passengers and four crew on board collided in midair with an Army Black Hawk helicopter carrying three soldiers near Reagan National Airport in Washington, D.C., and crashed into the Potomac River on Wednesday night. Officials said everyone on both aircraft perished.
  • Remains of more than 50 victims have been recovered, the Unified Command said.
  • All of the black boxes from the plane and the helicopter have been recovered, the NTSB confirmed.
  • The plane, American Eagle Flight 5342, had taken off from Wichita, Kansas, and was approaching for landing when the collision occurred.
  • Top figure skaters from the United States and Russia were on board.
  • The helicopter was on a training flight with a crew based at Fort Belvoir in Virginia.
 

55 victims have been positively identified, D.C. fire chief says

More victims of the deadly Army helicopter and plane collision were recovered this weekend, D.C. Fire and EMS Chief John Donnelly said Sunday.

Eleven of the victims were removed on Saturday as search crews continued to comb through the wreckage along the Potomac River, according to officials. Out of the 67 victims, 55 of them have been positively identified, Donnelly told reporters at a news conference.

"We believe we're going to be able to recover all the victims, but we don't know where they all are at this point," Donnelly said. "As we recover the fuselage, we expect to find more but we'll also need to do additional searches in other areas."

In addition to finding the 12 additional remains, authorities are focused on removing the remnants of the regional American Airlines jet. Salvage equipment will be moved into place Sunday and the removal is expected to take about three days, officials said.

Next, crews will work to recover the Black Hawk helicopter and its wreckage.

By Kiki Intarasuwan
 

Families of victims visit site of plane crash near Washington, D.C.

American Airlines Plane And Black Hawk Helicopter Crash Near Reagan National Airport
Mourners attend a memorial ceremony for the victims of the Potomac collision on Runway 33 at Reagan National Airport on Feb. 2, 2025, in Arlington, Virginia. Getty Images

Dozens of families members of the 67 victims who perished in the collision between an Army Black Hawk helicopter and an American Airlines plane gathered on Sunday for a memorial ceremony.

Ten charter buses with a police escort transported the family members to the banks of the Potomac River near Reagan National Airport just outside of Washington, D.C., the Associated Press reported.

Images taken at the end of runway 33 near the wreckage site in the Potomac River show one mourner erecting a memorial of crosses for the victims and placing roses on them.

APTOPIX Aircraft Down
A plane takes off from Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport as Roberto Marquez of Dallas places flowers at a memorial of crosses he erected for the 67 victims of a midair collision between an Army helicopter and an American Airlines jet, Saturday, Feb. 1, 2025, in Arlington, Virginia. Carolyn Kaster / AP

The D.C. Fire and EMS Department is expected to provide further updates on the deadly crash Sunday afternoon at Reagan National Airport.

By Kiki Intarasuwan
 

Recovered data shows American Airlines plane experienced an "increase" in pitch just prior to collision

Preliminary data recovered from the American Airlines plane indicates the aircraft was attempting to increase altitude just before the midair collision with the Black Hawk chopper. 

In a news conference Saturday, NTSB investigator Brice Banning indicated the American Airlines plane appeared to begin to "increase its pitch" just prior to the collision, indicating there was vertical movement of the nose of the aircraft.

"At 8:47:58, the crew had a verbal reaction, and FDR (flight data recorder) data showed the airplane beginning to increase its pitch," NTSB investigator Brice Banning said. "Sounds of impact were audible about one second later, following the end of the recording."

"At one point very close to the impact, there was a slight change in pitch, an increase in pitch," NTSB board member Todd Inman added.

By Kiki Intarasuwan
 

King Charles says Royal Family "profoundly shocked and saddened" by D.C. midair collision

King Charles III issued a statement Saturday on behalf of the British Royal Family, saying they were "profoundly shocked and saddened" by the news of the midair collision.

"Our hearts, and our special thoughts, are with the people of the United States and our deepest possible sympathy goes to the families and loved ones of all the victims," Charles said. 

By Kiki Intarasuwan
 

Preliminary data indicates plane's approximate altitude at time of impact, NTSB official says

Preliminary data showed that the American Airlines jet was flying at an altitude of 325 feet, plus or minus 25 feet, when it collided with the Black Hawk helicopter, NTSB board member Todd Inman said in a news briefing Saturday.

Inman said he "could not" though speculate on the altitude of the helicopter at the point of impact because the helicopter's data has not yet been analyzed. 

"Obviously, an impact occurred," Inman said. "And I would say, when an impact occurs, that is typically where the altitude of both aircraft were at the moment. But again, when we have the data from the (helicopter's) recorder, we will be able to give you more specifics."

However, Inman noted a discrepancy, because at around the time of impact, a monitor screen at the air traffic controller cab showed the Black Hawk's altitude to be at about 200 feet. 

"Our preliminary review of what the tower cab was showing on the data screen that would have been in front of the controllers, was 200 feet near the time of the accident," Inman said. 

He "cautioned" that there can be a four to five-second refresh rate on the cab screen that air traffic controllers are seeing. Inman stressed that the data is "preliminary," and further investigation is needed to determine at what altitude the collision occurred.

The flight ceiling for helicopters in that portion of the D.C. area is 200 feet. 

By Kiki Intarasuwan
 

NTSB looking into another close call one day before deadly collision

Just one day before the deadly collision, another regional jet about to land at the Reagan National Airport had a close call with a helicopter.

A regional Republic Airways flight came into close contact with Priority Air Transport 11, another Army helicopter flight, according to the NTSB. The plane's pilots received an alert from the onboard collision avoidance system about the military helicopter and aborted the landing attempt, CBS News correspondent Kris Van Cleave reported.

NTSB board member Todd Inman addressed the close call on Saturday, saying that the aircraft had over 1,000 feet of separation between them, which is a "good safety barrier."

"Obviously, the pilot made its own decision in rejecting the landing," Inman said. "We just want to bring that fact out. It will be considered in the overall evaluation of this incident."

CBS News has identified four other close calls between helicopters and planes around the airport, including a 2018 incident where a pilot took last-second evasive maneuvers to avoid an FAA plane landing on the same runway on which the aircraft from Wichita was cleared to land.

In the previously unreported case, an air traffic controller failed to warn both the aircraft.

By Kiki Intarasuwan
 

"A controller's worst nightmare": NTSB investigators still interviewing air traffic controllers

Five air traffic controllers were in the Reagan National Airport traffic control cab at the time of the midair collision on Wednesday evening, NTSB member Todd Inman said during a news conference Saturday. 

"This is a controller's worst nightmare," said Inman. "It hits everyone that works in that cab and knows them very hard. These interviews take a long time because there are several breaks that occur for emotions, just to be able to compose themselves to talk about what happened."

Investigators are still working to interview all the controllers — including an operational supervisor and an operational supervisor in training who were in the tower at the time of the collision, said Inman.

A controller who handles helicopters and fixed-wing aircraft, another who handles departures and arrivals, a ground controller and a local assist controller have all been interviewed, Inman said.

He added more interviews will be conducted as needed.

By Kiki Intarasuwan
 

Soldier killed in D.C. midair collision identified as former White House aide

One of three soldiers aboard the Black Hawk helicopter was identified Saturday by the Army as 28-year-old Capt. Rebecca Lobach, who had worked as a White House aide in the Biden administration.

The Army said Lobach had served as an aviation officer in the Army from July 2019 until January 2025. She had been awarded the Army Commendation Medal, Army Achievement Medal, National Defense Service Medal and Army Service Ribbon.

Soldier killed in D.C. midair collision identified as former White House aide
An undated photo of 28-year-old Army Capt. Rebecca Lobach.  Lobach family

Her family in a statement released through the Army described her as a "bright star in all our lives. She was kind, generous, brilliant, funny, ambitious and strong."

Lobach was a native of Durham, North Carolina, and enlisted in the North Carolina Army National Guard while in college in December 2018, a friend, 1st Lt. Samantha Brown, told CBS News.

Read more here. 

By James LaPorta
 

Unified Command says no D.C. crash wreckage expected to be removed Saturday

Crash wreckage from the D.C. midair collision is not expected to be removed Saturday, the Unified Command said in a statement.

Additional barges and equipment are expected to arrive later Saturday afternoon, as salvage crews assess and prepare for the recovery of the aircraft. 

The plane fuselage remains in the Potomac River — and it is believed many remaining victims are inside. Rescue crews have recovered 42 sets of remains and 38 have been positively identified by the D.C. Office of the Chief Medical Examiner. 

Sixty-seven people were aboard both aircraft during Wednesday's night midair collision. 

By Cara Tabachnick
 

Bodies of 2 soldiers recovered from Blackhawk helicopter wreckage, source says

The bodies of two soldiers were recovered from the wreckage of the Blackhawk helicopter that collided with an airplane near Washington, D.C., a law enforcement source familiar with the recovery efforts confirmed to CBS News.

The source said the bodies – a man and a woman – were recovered sometime Friday.

American Airlines Plane And Black Hawk Helicopter Crash Near Reagan National Airport
Local first responders salute the flag-draped bodies of service members killed in the aviation crash at a temporary emergency disaster site at Buzzard Point on January 31, 2025 in Washington, DC. Andrew Harnik / Getty Images

A three-person crew was performing a training mission near Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport when their UH-60 Blackhawk helicopter crashed into the American Airlines aircraft.

One of the remains recovered on Friday is believed to be those of Chief Warrant Officer 2 Andrew Loyd Eaves, 39 of Great Mills, Maryland. The other remains are believed to be those of a soldier that the U.S. Army has named at the request of their family.

The body of Staff. Sgt. Ryan Austin O'Hara, 28, of Lilburn, Georgia was recovered earlier in the week.

By Lucia Suarez Sang
 

Over 90% of U.S. airport towers are understaffed, data shows

Less than 10% of the nation's airport terminal towers have enough air traffic controllers to meet a set of standards set by a working group that included the Federal Aviation Administration and the controllers' union, according to a CBS News analysis of FAA data.

Only about 2% of the towers met the Collaborative Resource Working Group's 2024 staffing targets for the number of fully-trained air traffic controllers. Only about 8% met the target even when including hundreds of air traffic controllers who are still in training, according to the analysis of 2023 staffing data for nearly 200 airport towers. 

Additionally, none of the nation's Air Route Traffic Control Centers that handled high-altitude "en route" traffic had enough fully-trained controllers to meet the targets either.

The data, from the end of fiscal year 2023, was published in the FAA's Air Traffic Controller Workforce Plan, an annual report to Congress on the status of the agency's efforts to overcome a decades-long struggle to recruit and retain enough controllers to keep Americans safe while flying. The data shows staffing at the end of fiscal year 2023.

Nationwide, the working group's target for controllers was about 14,600, the report found. Counting only fully-trained controllers, the nation's air traffic system is at about 72% of that target. It's at 87% if trainees are included. That's about 3,000 to 4,000 controllers short of the targets, depending on whether the hundreds "in training" are counted.  

Read more here. 

By John Kelly
 

CBS News analysis finds reports of near midair collisions at the nation's airports are on the rise

A CBS News Data Team analysis found that reports of near midair collisions at the nation's airports are on the rise. There were 5,066 near midair collisions reported over the last 20 years, from 2005 through the fall of 2024, according to an analysis of data from NASA's Aviation Safety Reporting System.

This total includes incidents reported by any piloted aircraft. Over 20 years, that's an average of about 253 per year, and in the last five full years of data, there were 385 a year — or more than one a day on average.

There were 1,129 near midair collisions involving at least one commercial aircraft reported over the last 20 years, from 2005 through the fall of 2024. That's an average of about 56 each year — or a little more than once per week. Over the most recent 5 full years of data, there were 80 each year.

The numbers might be higher, the CBS News data team said, because some cases aren't reported. 

At least nine near midair collisions were reported over the last 20 years at Reagan Washington National Airport, or DCA, where the deadly collision occurred on Wednesday night.

The most recent cases at DCA were a 2023 case involving the commercial pilot reporting coming within 25-50 feet of a drone and a 2019 case where two commercial passenger aircraft coming within 300-500 feet of one another as one was landing and another was taking off.

 

FAA plane, chopper nearly collided in 2018 incident near Reagan National Airport

A helicopter was forced to take evasive action to avoid colliding with a plane that was landing at Reagan National Airport outside Washington, D.C., during a July 2018 incident that mirrored the deadly midair collision that occurred Wednesday night. 

A Federal Aviation Administration technical center plane was on approach to Runway 33, the same runway on which the American Eagle Flight 5342 was supposed to land. One of three helicopters traveling along a similar route as the Army helicopter had to take evasive action to avoid a collision with the FAA plane.

At the time, only one air traffic controller was managing both local plane traffic and helicopter traffic, a role that is usually staffed by two people — similar to the situation on Wednesday night. 

Read more here.

- Olivia Rinaldi, Kris Van Cleave

 

Navy barges en route to D.C. crash site to retrieve plane fuselage, NTSB says

Navy barges are on the way to the D.C. crash site from Virginia Beach to assist with the retrieval of the plane fuselage, Todd Inman of the NTSB said at a briefing Friday evening.

The barges are expected to arrive at the crash site Saturday morning, when "significant salvage operations will ensue," he said. There are two debris sites at the site, one where the helicopter crashed and one where the plane went down.

The American Airlines debris field is slightly larger than the helicopter debris field, Inman said.

Of the 64 people aboard the plane, 41 bodies have been recovered so far. The remaining victims are thought to be in the fuselage of the plane. 

"We have to make every effort to recover every single person who perished in this accident," said Inman.

The salvage operations will take place In conjunction with the D.C. Medical Examiner's Office, so recovered victims can be turned over to them and then returned to their families, he said. More than 100 families are in the D.C. area waiting for information. 

By Cara Tabachnick
 

NTSB has "high level of confidence" it can get data from black boxes

At a briefing Friday, Todd Inman of the NTSB said investigators have recovered the black box from the Army helicopter involved in the crash. He said it has been taken to the lab at NTSB headquarters.

The two black boxes from the passenger plane — the cockpit voice recorder and flight data recorder — were recovered earlier, and Inman said the NTSB has a "high level of confidence" that investigators will be able to retrieve information from them.

By Paula Cohen
 

FAA restricts helicopter traffic around D.C. airport

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy announced Friday that the FAA is restricting helicopter traffic around Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport airport. 

"Today's decision will immediately help secure the airspace near Reagan Airport, ensuring the safety of airplane and helicopter traffic," he tweeted. "This is part of the @USDOT's ongoing commitment to safeguarding our nation's skies and upholding the highest standards of air travel safety."

By Cara Tabachnick
 

Army identifies another member of helicopter crew

The Army identified another member of the helicopter crew as Chief Warrant Officer 2 Andrew Loyd Eaves, 39, of Maryland.

His remains haven't been recovered, the Army said in a statement Friday.

Eaves served in the Navy for a decade until September 2017, when he became a Black Hawk pilot for the Army.

Chief Warrant Officer 2 Andrew Loyd Eaves
Chief Warrant Officer 2 Andrew Loyd Eaves

The Army isn't identifying the third soldier on the crew at this time at the request of their family.

Read more here.

By Alex Sundby
 

Work to remove fuselage from Potomac expected to begin soon

Fire chief John Donnelly Sr. said operations to remove the fuselage from the Potomac River were expected to start no later than Saturday afternoon.

Donnelly said removing the fuselage will help with the recovery of more victims' remains.

"I believe that when we remove the aircraft that that will help us resolve this number," Donnelly said. "If it doesn't, we will continue to search."

By Alex Sundby
 

"We expect to recover all of the bodies"

Fire chief John Donnelly Sr. expressed confidence in recovering the rest of the victims' remains from the Potomac River.

"We expect to recover all of the bodies," Donnelly said in response to a question from CBS News' Skyler Henry.

By Alex Sundby
 

41 victims' remains recovered, fire chief says

Remains of 41 victims have been recovered, John Donnelly Sr., the fire chief in Washington, D.C., told reporters Friday.

Officials have identified 28 of the victims, and next-of-kin notifications have been made to 18 families as of 6 a.m. Friday, Donnelly said.

By Alex Sundby
 

Officials hold briefing on collision

Officials held a briefing on the midair collision Friday afternoon. Watch the briefing in the player below.

Officials give update on D.C. midair plane crash recovery efforts | full video by CBS News on YouTube
 

Howard University law professor among crash victims

A Howard University law professor and former Kansas beauty queen was among the victims, university officials said.

University President Ben Vison confirmed Friday that professor Kiah Duggins was one of the 64 people on the plane. 

Duggins was also a civil rights attorney with the nonprofit Civil Rights Corps, according to a profile on the organization's website.

Read more here.

By JT Moodee Lockman
 

Father of crash victim says Black Hawk crew chief "trusted pilots with his life"

The father of U.S. Army Black Hawk pilot Ryan O'Hara said his son loved flying over Washington, D.C., never expressed concerns about the crowded skies and described the crew as "probably the most respected pilots that Ryan had ever flown with."

"He trusted them with his life," Gary O'Hara told CBS News in an emotional interview from his home in Georgia Friday, less than two days after his son's military helicopter struck an American Airlines passenger jet.

Read more here.

-Michael Kaplan, Mark Strassmann, Laura Geller and Matthew Mosk

Father of helicopter crew chief in D.C. crash reacts to Trump's blame of DEI 01:58


 

White House press secretary holds press briefing

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt held a press briefing Friday afternoon. Watch it in the player below.

White House takes questions with investigation into D.C. plane crash progressing | full video by CBS News on YouTube
 

Helicopter crew's training mission was in case of capital attack

The three soldiers were on the Army helicopter as part of a readiness exercise in the event of a catastrophic attack on the capital.

It's a plan that includes the mass evacuation and relocation of every federal government agency, including the White House.

Defense officials told CBS News flight operations for the 12th Aviation Battalion out of Virginia have been temporarily suspended by the U.S. military as investigators try to determine what happened on the training flight.

New details emerge about military helicopter involved in midair collision 02:20
By Charlie D'Agata
 

Olympian Brian Boitano describes impact on figure skating community: "We all feel it"

The midair collision killed 14 members of the U.S. figure skating community as athletes and coaches returned home from a national development camp in Wichita, Kansas.

American figure skater Brian Boitano, who earned a gold medal at the 1988 Winter Olympics and was also in Wichita, described the figure skating community as "really connected."

"So when something happens to one of us, we all feel it and we all try to gather around for support," Boitano said on "CBS Mornings" Friday.

Vadim Naumov and Evgenia Shishkova, Russian-born figure skaters and 1994 world champions in the pairs event, were on the American Airlines plane. The two coached at the Skating Club of Boston.

Boitano described Naumov and Shishkova as kind and caring friends of his who were "creating the next generation of champions for America."

"It's a huge loss for our skating community, not only just their coaching but them as people," he said.

Olympian Brian Boitano talks about D.C. plane crash and its impact on figure skating community 06:04
By Kelsie Hoffman
 

Union president defends air traffic controllers: "You are in the best hands"

Amid criticism from President Trump against air traffic controllers, a union leader for the group said he stood behind "every highly skilled, highly trained air traffic controller that is out there."

Nick Daniels, president of the National Air Traffic Controllers Association, told "CBS Mornings" on Friday that controllers go through very rigorous training and multiple "job jeopardy points" before they speak directly to aircraft.

"Any air traffic controller out there – it doesn't matter their race, color, religion – you can know you are in the best hands that take that responsibility very seriously every day," he said.

Mr. Trump, without evidence, said that diversity, equity and inclusion, or DEI, initiatives at the Federal Aviation Administration have lowered the quality and talent of air traffic controllers.

"I couldn't tell you what he was talking about because the quality of air traffic controllers out there is outstanding," Daniels said.

CBS News has learned two controllers were doing multiple jobs at the time of the accident. The same air traffic control worker managing helicopter traffic was also handling some planes taking off and landing around the time the collision happened.

Daniels did not address the staffing at the time of the crash as it is under investigation. He said there is an ongoing controller shortage across the U.S. with 10,800 certified controllers doing the job where there should be 14,335 people.

"It is not uncommon to us to routinely combine positions, de-combine positions," he said. "There is usually someone in a supervisory position looking at the overall workload and complexity in order to make those determinations of what positions we need open and when we need them open."

He added: "The number of air traffic controllers that are needed is always a determining factor in and quite often if we don't have enough people, we begin reducing the number of aircraft we can officially move and safely move through the airspace."

Air traffic control union president on plane crash 05:09
By Lucia Suarez Sang
 

Former NTSB chairman says investigation will look at staffing, critical radar data

Through its investigation, the National Transportation Safety Board will look at whether staffing played a role in the deadly midair collision, a former chairman of the agency, Robert Sumwalt, said on "CBS Mornings" Friday.

"It's not uncommon for air traffic controllers to combine positions based on the workload at the existing time. I think what's important here is to let the NTSB sort through the details and figure out if this had any effect at all on the operations," Sumwalt said.

Sumwalt also said the plane's black boxes, which were recovered Thursday, will be critical, along with air traffic control data, radar data and interviews with controllers.

"I think in this case what's really going to tell the tale is going to be the radar data, which is showing exactly where each airplane was at the time, and then correlating that to the pilot-to-controller voice communications," he said.

What to know about the investigation into the midair collision near D.C. 02:12
By Kelsie Hoffman
 

People cautioned about river crash debris

D.C. area municipalities have issued guidance about what people should and shouldn't do about what they think might be debris from the crash.

post on the Alexandria, Virginia, government Facebook page spotlights the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments urging that, "If you believe you have information related to the recovery efforts in the Potomac or Anacostia Rivers or on the shore, immediately call 911. Do not touch or remove the item(s). Following this guidance is critical to supporting the impacted families & investigation."

By Brian Dakss
 

2 Chinese nationals, Philippine National Police colonel among victims

The Chinese Embassy in the U.S. said two Chinese nationals were on the American Eagle jet. It didn't offer further details.

The country's Ministry of Foreign Affairs offered its condolences for the crash victims and asked the U.S. to "promptly report any progress with the search and rescue, and find out the cause of the accident as soon as possible." 

Philippine Police Col. Pergentino Malabed Jr., who headed the supply management division of the national police, was among the dead. He had traveled to the U.S. to inspect equipment the Philippines was planning to purchase for its 232,000-member force, according to the Philippine police.

"His untimely passing is a profound loss to the Philippine National Police, where he served with honor, with integrity and dedication throughout his career," police spokesperson Col. Randulf Tuaño said in a statement.

-- CBS/AP

 

Duffy says first day on job was "not what I expected"

The Senate confirmed Sean Duffy, President Trump's pick to lead the Department of Transportation, on Tuesday with significant bipartisan support, and he was sworn in by Vice President JD Vance Wednesday afternoon. That night, the midair collision occurred.

Late Thursday night, Duffy said in a post on X that, "This is not what I expected my first day on the job to be, but I do believe that God puts us exactly where we're supposed to be. Tonight, I met with some of the families who lost their loved ones in the plane and helicopter crash last night. Their pain is immeasurable. I can't take away their pain, but I can do a very small part to help ease it by keeping my promise to get to the bottom of what happened and be 100% transparent about the results of the investigation. They have my word."

By Brian Dakss
 

Reagan National Airport one of 3 in U.S. considered by FAA to be "capacity constrained"

Washington's Reagan National Airport, designed to service 15 million passengers a year, now processes more than 26 million.

It's one of three U.S. airports — along with New York's John F. Kennedy International and LaGuardia airports – relying on runway slots to limit air traffic.

The FAA considers these three airports to be "capacity constrained."

Where U.S. aviation safety stands after midair crash 02:48

Aviation consultant Kit Darby, a retired commercial and military pilot who now consults for businesses hiring pilots, has flown in and out of Reagan National Airport for years.

"You've got to hit your spot," Darby told CBS News. "You've got to do a good job of being a pilot to fly successfully to that airport."

Darby notes that despite advances in technology, aviation safety systems still rely on people getting things right.

"Well, everything's gotten better, faster," Darby said. "People, however, remain an issue -- seeing hearing, understanding, depth perception. All those factors are key, and they haven't gotten better as fast as the mechanical things have gotten."

In another measure of a stressed system, over the last 20 years, Reagan National Airport has reported at least nine near mid-air collisions.

By Mark Strassmann
 

Who is Christopher Rochelau, Trump's new acting FAA administrator?

As first responders searched the Potomac River Thursday following the nation's deadliest airline crash in nearly a quarter of a century, the agency tasked with regulating civilian air travel was without a Senate-approved head.

President Trump moved Thursday, appointing Christopher Rocheleau, a 22-year Federal Aviation Administration veteran, as acting administrator of the FAA. Mr. Trump described  Rocheleau as "highly respected."

The FAA's most recent administrator, Michael Whitaker, resigned when Mr. Trump took office last week.   

Rocheleau is in his third stint at the FAA. He was appointed by Mr. Trump as deputy administrator last week, and took on the title acting administrator Thursday morning, hours after the deadly collision. 

Rocheleau most recently was chief operating officer of the National Business Aviation Association. Prior to that job, which he began in 2022, he was the FAA's deputy associate administrator for aviation safety. The U.S. Air Force veteran previously worked for the Transportation Security Administration.  

Read more here. 

By Graham Kates
 

Experts ask why Black Hawk helicopter may have been flying above allowed altitude

The military Black Hawk helicopter that crashed into a passenger plane near Reagan National Airport Wednesday appears to have been flying above the permitted altitude, publicly available flight data analyzed by CBS News shows.

This data point is one of several key mysteries investigators are exploring as they seek to explain what caused the nation's worst air disaster in more than a decade, aviation experts said.

The permitted flight ceiling on the Potomac River near Reagan National Airport is 200 feet – a crucial ceiling for keeping the heavy flow of military helicopters safely clear of the steady commercial aircraft traffic into and out of the nation's capital.

Data from FlightRadar24, which tracks and records aircraft data for most flights across the U.S., showed the helicopter's last estimated altitude was about 400 feet when it crashed. The jet's altitude was about 375 to 400 feet, according to data from FlightAware and FlightRadar24. 

Read more here.   

 

What to know about Trump's criticisms of DEI and the FAA's diversity policies

In a Thursday press briefing, President Trump criticized his predecessor for his management of the Federal Aviation Administration and suggested, without evidence, that diversity initiatives at the agency could be to blame for Wednesday's deadly crash.

"I put safety first. Obama, Biden and the Democrats put policy first," Mr. Trump said. "The FAA's website states they include hearing, vision, missing extremities, partial paralysis, complete paralysis, epilepsy, severe intellectual disability, psychiatric disability, and dwarfism." Mr. Trump added that people in those categories would be "qualified" for controller positions, even though the agency's statement does not say that.

It has been longstanding FAA policy — including before, during and after Mr. Trump's first term — to include people with disabilities in recruitment. However, there is no evidence that these initiatives have compromised air safety or had any relation to the crash Wednesday night. The cause of the collision remains under investigation.

Air traffic controllers must undergo extensive training and meet rigorous standards, including physical and mental fitness tests. They cannot have a history of mental disorders or physical conditions that could interfere with their duties, according to the U.S. Office of Personnel Management, which is the chief human resources agency for the federal government.

Read more here. 

Laura Doan and Alex Clark  

 

Black boxes from crashed plane recovered

The flight data recorder and the cockpit voice recorder, commonly known as black boxes, have been recovered from the crashed plane, a source familiar with the investigation confirmed.

They will be analyzed at the NTSB lab, which is located about a mile from the crash site.

The NTSB later confirmed it had recovered the black boxes in a statement and shared photos of the recorders.

"NTSB investigators recovered the cockpit voice recorder and flight data recorder from the Bombardier CRJ700 airplane involved in yesterday's mid-air collision at DCA. The recorders are at the NTSB labs for evaluation," the NTSB said.

2 plane black boxes recovered from crash site, evaluations underway 02:38
By Kris Van Cleave
 

Sen. Duckworth, former Black Hawk pilot, on flying in area where crash occurred

Sen. Tammy Duckworth told CBS News' Nikole Killion in an interview Thursday that she's requested a transcript of the air traffic control instructions and responses from the pilots involved in the deadly midair collision.

"What I did learn was that air traffic control did contact and speak with the helicopter crew twice, and they acknowledged the instructions twice," Duckworth said. "I also am asking for the flight path of both aircraft up until the moment of the impact."

The Illinois Democrat will have more insight than many of her colleagues — she is an Iraq War veteran and was a Black Hawk pilot before an RPG downed her helicopter during an Iraq deployment in 2004, costing Duckworth both of her legs and partial use of her right arm. 

Duckworth says she's certain that the soldiers who were piloting the Black Hawk on Wednesday night were well trained because otherwise, "they wouldn't be out there in this special airspace — the airspace around Washington, D.C." She noted that they were in the SFRA — the Washington, D.C., metropolitan Special Flight Restricted Area. It's a circular 30-nautical-mile area around Washington, D.C., which also surrounds the Flight-Restricted Zone, a smaller area encompassing Reagan National Airport."

"You don't get to fly in that without additional flight training," Duckworth said. 

The Illinois Democrat described what the crew would have been doing in the cockpit as the Black Hawk flew Wednesday night.  

Read more here.

 

6 members of Boston figure skating club among D.C. plane crash victims

The rink was empty at the Skating Club of Boston Thursday, one day after six members from this elite figure skating community were killed aboard the American Airlines flight that collided with an Army helicopter.

"Our rink is eerily quiet," Doug Zeghibe, CEO of the club, told CBS Boston. "Coaches are not coming in. Kids are not coming in. I think everyone is mourning privately."

Among those who died are 13-year-old Jinna Han and 16-year-old Spencer Lane, two up-and-coming skaters. Han's mother, Jin Han, and Lane's mother, Christine Lane, were also on the plane, along with their children's coaches, Vadim Naumov and Evgenia Shishkova.

"He was just loved by everyone, from the adults running the club, to the smallest skaters, to the people who are competing for a shot at the Olympics, they all just adored him," said Douglas Lane of his son Spencer.

The Russian-born Shishkova and Naumov were married. The couple won the pairs title at the 1994 World Figure Skating Championships and competed in the Winter Olympics twice. Their son, Naxim, a competitive figure skater for the U.S., was not on the plane

"They grew up in St. Petersburgh," Zeghibe said. "They learned a very traditional Russian style of skating and training. And that is something they brought here." 

6 members of Boston figure skating club among D.C. plane crash victims 02:34
By Beth Germano
 

D.C. fire chief on victim recovery efforts, salvage operations

In an interview with CBS News, District of Columbia Fire and Emergency Medical Services Chief John Donnelly detailed how search and recovery efforts for the 67 victims of the midair collision were progressing, and the challenges crews were facing.

Donnelly said the crash occurred "in a spot that's relatively close to our fire boat pier and harbor patrol pier."

D.C. fire chief on victim recovery efforts for midair collision 01:15

"The first fire boat was on the scene in 10 minutes," Donnelly explained. "We were also fortunate that they were on the water. While they didn't see the accident, they understood where it was. And if you understand the water, it is a big black spot in the middle of the night. There's no way to see anything other than the buoys."

Donnelly said moving forward there will be "salvage operations."

"We're gonna lift all the wreckage out, collect all the wreckage," the fire chief said. "And at the same time (as that) we're getting the rest of the bodies."

By Tony Dokoupil
 

What to know about the route the Black Hawk chopper was flying

New Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth told reporters in a briefing Thursday that the Sikorsky H-60 Army Black Hawk helicopter was on a routine training mission, saying there appeared to be nothing unusual about the flight that took off from nearby Fort Belvoir in Virginia.

"A routine annual retraining of night flights on a standard corridor for a continuity of government mission. The military does dangerous things. It does routine things on a regular basis," Hegseth said.  "Tragically, last night a mistake was made."

Black Hawk chopper involved in D.C. collision was on training flight 02:53

It's a mission similar to those flown every day by Army helicopters in the tight air corridors around the nation's capital.

"No excuses," Hegseth said. "We're going to get to the bottom of this."

Former Black Hawk pilot Bradley Bowman has flown this route along the Potomac River many times and told CBS News about the challenges.

"The area around Reagan National Airport is one of the busiest, if not the busiest, in the nation. And you have these low-level helicopter routes. And it's all in a relatively tight space," Bowman said.
 
He said it would be fair to describe it as routine.

"The day-to-day mission of this aviation unit is what we call priority air transport to fly VIPs around. And so if you're going to go pick up the chief of staff of the Army at the Pentagon, right, and fly him on a night mission, you don't want the first time you're doing that to be with the VIP in the back," Bowman said. "So, you do these regular training missions to make sure that you know your trade."
 
Bowman said the Black Hawk is "incredibly maneuverable." 

"You can think of it like a Porsche in the sky," Bowman said. "Very maneuverable. Lots of power. They could have maneuvered quickly if they'd seen the problem."

By Charlie D'Agata
 

Trump administration deploys disaster medical team

The Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response said in a news release that it has "deployed a team of fatality management and victim assistance specialists from the National Disaster Medical System" to respond to the midair collision near Reagan Washington National Airport.

They say that a disaster mortuary team is working with the Washington, D.C., medical examiner to assess fatality management needs and staff from the victim identification center is supporting the family assistance center.

They also said that they did a "rapid behavioral health needs assessment" to help D.C. health authorities.

By Alexander Tin
 

Dive operations temporarily suspended due to dangerous conditions

Dive operations at the crash site have been temporarily suspended due to dangerous conditions, sources told CBS News.

While it is believed that dive teams have recovered all the bodies that can safely be retrieved, the U.S. Coast Guard will move in assets to safely remove parts of the fuselage from the Potomac River in order to access and recover the remaining bodies. 

While less complicated and resource intensive, the operation has been likened to debris and steel removal during last year's Francis Scott Key Bridge collapse in Baltimore, with crews employing vessels and machinery to carefully clear the site and retrieve victims from the water. 

Once parts of the fuselage are removed and it is again deemed safe, dive operations will resume.

Sonar scans of the river and air and ground searches along the banks of the Potomac are still underway. Those will be suspended overnight.

By Nicole Sganga
 

Nancy Kerrigan calls deaths of Massachusetts figure skaters in D.C. crash a "shock"

Olympian Nancy Kerrigan gathered at the Norwood ice rink to share her grief over the deaths of six people with ties to the Skating Club of Boston. Kerrigan, an alumnus of the club, called the news a "shock."

"Much like everyone here's been saying, I'm not sure how to process it," Kerrigan said. "We just wanted to be here and be part of our community. The kids here really work hard, their parents work hard to be here."    

nancy-kerrigan-skating-club-of-boston-20250130-01-frame-234935.jpg
(L-R) Paul George, Elin Gardiner Schran, Tenley Albright, Doug Zeghibe and Nancy Kerrigan speak at the Skate Club of Boston on January 30, 2025. CBS Boston

Kerrigan said while everyone grieves differently, figure skaters learn that you always get back up.

Read more here. 

By Victoria D
 

40 bodies recovered, source says

Authorities have recovered 40 intact bodies and the partial remains of several others, according to a law enforcement source familiar with the investigation. Some remains have washed ashore, the source said.

Investigators believe they have accessed all the remains they can safely retrieve up to this point, but believe there are more in a tail section of the fuselage currently out of reach, according to the source.

Crews will suspend recovery operations at dusk and resume tomorrow in daylight. They fear some bodies may not be recovered, the source said.

By Kris Van Cleave
 

Trump signs memo to make sure transportation chief undoes DEI policies

President Trump signed a presidential memorandum in the Oval Office on Thursday afternoon directing Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy to ensure that the White House undoes any Biden-era or Obama-era diversity and inclusion or "woke" policies and programs. This comes after Mr. Trump suggested DEI could be to blame for Wednesday night's collision.

"In other words, competence," the president said, adding, "I think everyone understands that."

Multiple agencies are investigating the collision, and investigators haven't indicated what may have caused the crash.

Mr. Trump also signed paperwork appointing an acting administrator for the Federal Aviation Administration, Christopher Rocheleau, something he said earlier Thursday that he would do. 

"He's a very capable guy," Mr. Trump said.

Mr. Trump said it's fine for helicopters to fly in the D.C. airspace as long as they're in the right place. 

"We're not gonna let it happen again," he said.

By Kathryn Watson
 

Sen. Tammy Duckworth pushes back on Trump's DEI comments: "How dare he?"

Illinois Sen. Tammy Duckworth, a former Black Hawk pilot, pushed back after President Trump suggested Democrats' federal diversity and inclusion policies might be to blame for the crash.

"That's an attack on those pilots, and how dare he?" Duckworth told CBS News congressional correspondent Nikole Killion. 

"How dare the commander in chief of the greatest military on the face of the earth attack the soldiers that just died last night by saying that he's implying that they were not qualified to do their jobs," Duckworth said. "He's implying that they were substandard as an aviation air crew member, because, as if they had that position because of some other initiative that had nothing to do with their qualifications and capabilities as their crew members. I am offended that the commander in chief of the United States military would actually say that about the soldiers that he has sworn to lead. Shame on him."

Duckworth has long raised concerns about crowded airspace at airports like Reagan National. 

The senator said pilots don't fly in the Washington, D.C., airspace without extensive training. 

"You don't get to fly in that without additional flight training, so we know this was a trained crew that was in there," she said, adding that people need to allow investigators to do their job before speculating.

Duckworth, a former Black Hawk pilot, on D.C. plane crash 03:50
By Kathryn Watson
 

Only 1 air traffic control worker was managing helicopters and planes, sources say

One air traffic control worker was managing the helicopters and some planes from the Reagan National Airport tower at the time of the collision, a job normally done by two people, two sources tell CBS News.

According to a source, managing the helicopters and planes are two jobs before 9:30 p.m. but a supervisor combined them early.

The New York Times first reported the air traffic control staffing numbers. The Times reported that staffing at the tower was "not normal," according to a preliminary Federal Aviation Administration report.

-Kathryn Krupnik and Kris Van Cleave

 

Flight data recorders have not yet been recovered, NTSB says

Flight data recorders from the plane and military helicopter have not yet been recovered, National Transportation Safety Board officials said in a news briefing on Thursday. 

"We know they're there, they are underwater," NTSB chair Jennifer Homendy said. "This is not unusual for the NTSB. We have many times recovered flight data recorders in water." 

Homendy said the NTSB's lab, which is located about a mile from the crash site, would be able to read the plane's flight data recorder. Board member J. Todd Inman, who will be serving as a spokesperson for the investigation, said that the helicopter's data recorder will be recovered and read by either the NTSB or the Department of Defense. He indicated there was an agreement between the two agencies to share the information on the recorder. 

"Once we get those, we'll be able to get those read, and information from them, to be able to provide further information to you," Homendy said.

By Kerry Breen
 

NTSB intends to issue preliminary report in 30 days, official says

In a briefing on Thursday afternoon, the National Transportation Safety Board said that its goal is to publish a preliminary report about the deadly crash in 30 days. 

J. Todd Inman, a member of the board who will be serving as a spokesperson for the investigation, said that an investigative team will be on the scene "as long as it takes to obtain all of the perishable evidence and all of the fact-finding that is needed to bring this to a conclusion of probable cause." 

All aspects of the crash will be investigated, he said, with working groups tackling specific aspects of the incident. One group will review and reconstruct air control activities. Another group will look at all of the plane's systems and functions. A third will investigate the activities of crew members of both flights in the days leading up to the crash. 

A final report will be issued once all fact-finding and investigation is done, Inman said. He did not indicate when this might be completed. 

"We don't have a lot of information now. We will continue to gather that. We will try to release it as we can, but we will only talk about the facts of the case that we know right now," Inman said.

By Kerry Breen
 

Helicopter crew was "very experienced," official says

Jonathan Koziol, the chief of staff at the Headquarters Department of the Army Aviation Directorate, told reporters that the crew of the military helicopter was "very experienced" and would have been familiar with the route they were flying. 

One of the pilots had 1,000 flying hours, Koziol said, and the other had 500 hours. The flight pattern is flown on a daily basis, he said. 

"This should not have been a problem," he said.

By Eleanor Watson
 

NTSB officials holding briefing on collision

Officials with the National Transportation Safety Board are briefing reporters on its investigation into the collision. Watch the briefing in the player above.

By Alex Sundby
 

Helicopter crew chief identified as 29-year-old

CBS News has learned the crew chief on the helicopter was 29-year-old Ryan O'Hara. He is survived by a wife and 1-year-old son.

By Michael Kaplan
 

26-year-old returning from work trip among crash victims, father-in-law says

Asra Hussain Raza, 26, was among the victims of the crash, her father-in-law, Hashim Raza, told CBS News. A graduate of the University of Indiana and Columbia University, Raza had recently relocated to Washington, D.C., with her husband for a consulting position. She was traveling back to Washington from a work trip to Wichita when the crash occurred.

By Rhona Tarrant
 

Senator says crash "demands answers"

During the confirmation hearing for President Trump's pick for FBI director, Iowa Sen. Chuck Grassley offered prayers to those who died in the crash. 

"This is a horrible, hard-to-understand disaster that demands answers," he said.

Read more here.

By Melissa Quinn
 

Maryland labor union says 4 members were on flight

Four members of a Maryland-based labor union were on board the flight, union leaders said in a social media post.

They belonged to Steamfitters United Association Local 602, which represents workers in the heating, air conditioning, refrigeration and process piping industries in the D.C. Metro area.

Read more here.

By JT Moodee Lockman
 

Former Black Hawk helicopter pilot raises questions for investigation

Retired Lt. Col. Darin Gaub, a former Black Hawk helicopter pilot, spoke on "CBS Mornings" about what questions could be raised during the investigation into the deadly midair collision. 

"They had one crew chief and not two. That could be a factor that needs to be accounted for in the investigation … but the visibility in the Black Hawk is good," Gaub said.

Gaub also said the National Transportation Safety Board will have to analyze congestion as part of its investigation.

"It is very dense. It is high risk because of that," he said. "There are specific corridors and air space restrictions that are extremely effective as a result as well when they are followed."

Former Black Hawk pilot discusses midair collision near Reagan National Airport 05:56
By Kelsie Hoffman
 

Buttigieg blasts Trump for response to crash

Pete Buttigieg, who served as secretary of transportation during the Biden administration, lambasted President Trump for his comments blaming the crash in part on the FAA's diversity, equity and inclusion practices. The president also took aim at Buttigieg specifically, claiming he was a "disaster" as leader of the Transportation Department.

"Despicable. As families grieve, Trump should be leading, not lying," Buttigieg wrote on social media. "We put safety first, drove down close calls, grew Air Traffic Control, and had zero commercial airline crash fatalities out of millions of flights on our watch."

Buttigieg criticized Mr. Trump for eliminating the membership of the Aviation Security Advisory Committee when he came into office and said he needs to tell the American people how his administration will prevent a similar disaster in the future.

"President Trump now oversees the military and the FAA. One of his first acts was to fire and suspend some of the key personnel who helped keep our skies safe," Buttigieg wrote. "Time for the president to show actual leadership and explain what he will do to prevent this from happening again."

By Melissa Quinn
 

Trump tells Americans it's safe to fly

President Trump said Americans shouldn't be nervous about flying in the wake of the crash.

"It's been many years since something like this has happened, and the collision is something we don't expect to happen ever again," he said, adding that he would not hesitate to fly himself. 

He also pointed to the nation's safety record. 

"Flying is very safe. We have the safest flying anywhere in the world, and we'll keep it that way," he said.

By Kerry Breen
 

Trump criticizes Biden administration during press briefing

During his press briefing Thursday morning, President Trump criticized the Biden administration and attacked diversity initiatives, claiming that he had increased standards for those who work within aviation.

Read more here.

By Kaia Hubbard
 

Duffy vows speedy investigation: "This should not have happened"

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said that an investigation into the deadly crash will be conducted "as quickly as possible."

The National Transportation Safety Board, the Federal Aviation Administration, and the Department of Transportation will be part of the investigation, he said. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said the Department of Defense and the U.S. military will also be part of the investigation.

"What happened yesterday shouldn't have happened," Duffy said. "It should not have happened. When Americans take off in airplanes, they should expect to land at their destination. That didn't happen yesterday. That's not acceptable. We will not accept excuses. We will not accept passing the buck."

By Kerry Breen
 

Trump confirms no survivors in crash

President Trump said there are no survivors in the deadly airline crash.

"This was a dark and excruciating night in our nation's capital and in our nation's history," Mr. Trump said.

By Kerry Breen
 

Trump appoints acting FAA head

President Trump appointed an acting administrator for the Federal Aviation Administration, which does not have a Senate-approved leader. Trump appointee Chris Rocheleau, a 22-year veteran of the agency who was serving as the deputy administrator, will be the acting head.

Mr. Trump said that multiple authorities, including the FAA and National Transportation Safety Board, are working "tirelessly" to investigate the crash. He emphasized safety goals, saying that his administration "will set the highest possible bar for aviation safety."

By Kerry Breen
 

"We are in mourning," Trump says

President Trump spoke from the White House briefing room at around 11:20 a.m. on Thursday, referring to the morning as an "hour of anguish" for the United States.

"As one nation we grieve for every precious soul that has been taken from us so suddenly. We are in mourning," he said.

By Kerry Breen
 

Hegseth, Duffy join Trump at press briefing

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy are joining President Trump as he speaks from the White House briefing room.

By Kerry Breen
 

Flights resume at Reagan National Airport

Flights resumed at Reagan National Airport just hours after the deadly crash. Planes could be seen moving on the airport's runway. 

A Southwest Airlines flight flying in from Nashville was the first to land at the airport Thursday, according to the airport's online arrivals board. Another Southwest flight, from Milwaukee, was expected to arrive around 11:20 a.m.

A Southwest flight to Nashville took off shortly after 11 a.m., according to the airport's online departure board. A Delta Air Lines flight to New York City's John F. Kennedy International Airport was set to depart around 11:35 a.m.

Officials have recommended that people with travel plans check with their airline to see if any changes have been made.

By Kerry Breen
 

6 from Boston figure skating community were on flight

Six members of the Boston figure skating community, including two coaches, two teenage skaters and the skaters' mothers, were on the American flight.

The Skating Club of Boston identified the coaches as Vadim Naumov and Evgenia Shishkova. The skaters were identified as Spencer Lane and Jinna Han, and their mothers as Christine Lane and Jin Han.

Governing body U.S. Figure Skating told CBS News it could not share more information at this time.

Wichita, Kansas, is home to a prestigious training camp for novice and intermediate skaters.

Read more here.

By Kerry Breen
 

Map shows flight paths and crash site

Officials say the plane was following a standard flight path as it approached for a landing at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport. The map below shows the plane's path in blue and the path of the Army Black Hawk helicopter in orange, as well as the approximate site of their collision and crash over the Potomac River.

orchz-location-of-d-c-plane-crash.png
 

Army unit involved in crash on operational pause

In a video clip released online, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said the Army unit involved in the crash will be on a 48-hour operational pause as an investigation moves forward.

Hegseth said the helicopter crew was performing an annual proficiency training flight, and said it was being carried out by a "fairly experienced crew" who was doing its required annual night evaluation. The crew was wearing night goggles, he said.

By Kerry Breen
 

No Senate-approved head of FAA; Trump can appoint acting chief

There is no Senate-approved administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration right now, CBS News' Caitlin Huey-Burns reported. The former administrator, Michael Whitaker, stepped down from his position on Inauguration Day last week.

In September 2024, Trump ally Elon Musk called for Whitaker's resignation after the FAA imposed licensing violation fines on SpaceX. Whitaker announced his resignation in December, but did not publicly attribute his decision to Musk or the Trump administration. 

Mr. Trump can appoint an acting FAA chief. Trump appointee Chris Rocheleau, a 22-year FAA veteran, is currently serving as the agency's deputy administrator. Another Trump appointee, Liam McKenna, is the agency's current chief counsel.

By Kerry Breen
 

Trump to speak on crash

President Trump will speak from the White House press briefing room at 11 a.m. ET., the White House announced.

By Kerry Breen
 

Sen. Tim Kaine of Virginia says "there's a lot of questions" after crash

Sen. Tim Kaine of Virginia said "there's a lot of questions" following the deadly midair collision.

"You can't tell a lot from video footage taken at night, but the footage raises a lot of questions about how this happened," Kaine said on "CBS Mornings" following a news conference with officials at Reagan National.

Kaine noted that military flights and commercial flights are pretty common in the area, saying Reagan is a "very congested airport."

On the congestion issue, Kaine said he anticipates the National Transportation Safety Board will look into it, while acknowledging that congestion is a concern he has raised "for years." He added that it's "not a good time to speculate."

Kaine expressed "deep sorrow" for the passengers, the crew and the three soldiers, along with their loved ones, many of whom he expected would be from the Virginia and D.C. area. He praised the first responders and the coordinated effort overnight, pointing to the challenging rescue and recovery conditions in the cold waters of the Potomac River.

Sen. Tim Kaine on investigation into deadly collision between plane, helicopter 05:59
By Kaia Hubbard
 

Duffy says flight paths were "not unusual" for area

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said both aircraft were on their respective flight paths before the incident, and noted that a crowded airspace is not uncommon in the Washington, D.C., area. 

"Prior to the collision, the flight paths that were being flown, from the military and from American, that was not unusual for what happens in the D.C. airspace," Duffy said. 

He said that he would not go into too much detail, since the investigation is still ongoing, but said that military helicopters often fly over the river and noted that "everything was standard in the lead-up to the crash." 

"This happens every day," Duffy said. "Something went wrong here." 

He also said investigators have "early indicators of what happened here." 

By Kerry Breen
 

High winds lead to "spread out" crash area

District of Columbia Fire and Emergency Medical Services Chief John Donnelly said at a briefing Thursday morning that about 300 responders reacted to the crash, battling frigid weather and heavy wind. He said that the recovery operation will involve "a lot of touch and feel" as responders search the crash area. 

"The crash area is a little spread out, so we've got a lot of work to do," Donnelly said. He said the high winds overnight caused some debris to move downstream. 

By Kerry Breen
 

"We don't believe there are any survivors," D.C. fire chief says

District of Columbia Fire and Emergency Medical Services Chief John Donnelly told reporters in a news briefing Thursday morning that 27 bodies had been recovered from the plane and one from the helicopter.

Sixty-seven people were on the two aircraft in all — 64 aboard the plane and three on the helicopter.

"We don't believe there are any survivors," he said, adding that the efforts at the scene have switched from a rescue operation to a recovery operation.

By Brian Dakss
 

Army aiding NTSB probe of the collision

An Army spokesperson issued a statement Thursday morning confirming the helicopter involved in the collision was on a training mission and said, "The FAA (Federal Aviation Administration), NTSB (National Transportation Safety Board) and the United States Army will investigate. The NTSB will lead the investigation.

"We are working with local officials and will provide any additional information once it becomes available."

By Brian Dakss
 

At least 30 bodies recovered so far, source says

A law enforcement source familiar with the investigation told CBS News at least 30 bodies had been recovered by 6:45 a.m. ET.

The source added: "Investigators are focusing on why the helicopter was flying at that location and altitude at that moment."

Search efforts continued through the night and into Thursday morning.

US-AVIATION-ACCIDENT
Part of the wreckage is seen as rescue boats search the waters of the Potomac River on Jan. 30, 2025. A plane on approach to Reagan National Airport crashed into the river following a collision with an Army Black Hawk helicopter on Wednesday night, Jan. 29. ANDREW CABALLERO-REYNOLDS/AFP via Getty Images
By Brian Dakss
 

Terminal "grew pretty quiet" when realization of what happened set in

The county executive of Erie County, N.Y., which includes Buffalo, told CBS Wichita affiliate KWCH-TV he happened to be waiting to catch a flight back to Buffalo when he saw through a terminal window that some emergency vehicles were moving around outside.

"It didn't seem anything too strange at that point," Mark Poloncarz said. "And then about a minute or so after that, there was an announcement of a full-ground stop, that there would be no flights landing and no flights taking off. And then we started to see a lot of emergency vehicles heading towards the river."

Poloncarz and others soon saw reports on social media of a plane crash even as rumors began to swirl.

"When flights get delayed, people get aggravated and upset. But there was no one getting aggravated or upset because I think we all realized pretty quickly the magnitude of what occurred," Poloncarz said. "The terminal grew pretty quiet. There was a lot of sadness."

By Brian Dakss
 

Hegseth: Collision "absolutely tragic"

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, who's only had the job since Saturday, said in a post on X that the collision between the Army Black Hawk helicopter and American Eagle jet was "absolutely tragic."

"Search and rescue efforts still ongoing," he said, adding, "Prayers for all impacted souls, and their families."

By Brian Dakss
 

U.S. Figure Skating community "devastated by this unspeakable tragedy"

U.S. Figure Skating said in a statement overnight that "several members of our skating community were sadly aboard American Airlines Flight 5342.

" ... These athletes, coaches, and family members were returning home from the National Development Camp held in conjunction with the U.S. Figure Skating Championships in Wichita, Kansas.

"We are devastated by this unspeakable tragedy and hold the victims' families closely in our hearts."

Earlier, Russia's state-run TASS news agency, citing a source, said Russian figure skaters and coaches Yevgenia Shishkova and Vadim Naumov were on the plane, according to Reuters, which said they "had reportedly lived in the United States since at least 1998, where they trained young ice skaters."

Read more here.

By Brian Dakss
 

Plane's pilots might not have seen the helicopter, experts say

CBS News senior transportation and national correspondent Kris Van Cleave says the American Eagle jet was only "a few hundred feet off the ground" when it collided with the Army helicopter.

"It was very close to touching down," Van Cleave said. "It was in the final steps of its final approach. ... It is possible, depending upon where the two aircraft struck, that the pilots of the airplane never even saw the helicopter coming."

CBS News transportation safety expert and analyst Robert Sumwalt agreed. Sumwalt, a former chairman of the National Transportation Safety Board, said that, in radar data, it appeared the plane "was making a left turn to line up with runway 33. It was below 300 feet when all of a sudden the data from the radar feed just quit. So that tells us that this happened at a relatively low altitude. 

" ... (The plane's pilots) would have already been making the turn to line up with that runway. They're focused on the runway. I was an airline pilot for 24 years. I've landed on that runway many times. You're in the turn. You're looking to line up with that runway."

Turning his head both ways, Sumwalt said, "You're not looking out here for other traffic at that point. So I think that really is where their focus was. Now the real question is where was the focus of that helicopter crew?"

By Brian Dakss
 

Human remains washing up on riverbank

As the search for bodies and any possible survivors continued overnight, human remains and debris were washing up on the Virginia side of the Potomac River, reports CBS News senior transportation and national correspondent Kris Van Cleave.

He said the plane broke into multiple pieces that are sitting in 5-8 feet of water. 

A dive team found what appears to be one of the plane's two data recorders — the so-called black boxes. It wasn't clear whether it was the cockpit voice recorder or the one that stores data about the plane's performance.

Divers have had some access to the aircraft's cabin.

Luggage is among items divers have recovered. 

The helicopter is upside down but appears to be mostly intact, Van Cleave adds. 

By Brian Dakss
 

Sen. Marshall says "probably over 60 Kansans" dead in crash

Kansas' two U.S. senators were among the officials who briefed media members at Reagan National Airport about the crash early Thursday.

Sen. Jerry Moran, a Republican who chairs the aviation subcommittee of the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee, said he's "praying that our responders are safe and that the folks who were on that flight are recovered."

Fellow Sen. Roger Marshall, also a Republican, said, "When one person dies, it's a tragedy but when many, many, many people die, it's an unbearable sorrow. It's a heartbreak beyond major. ... I want the folks back home to just know that we care, that we love them and that this is a time when we will have to join arms together and help each other out.

"We've been through things like this before — through tornadoes and floods and things, but it's really hard when you lose probably over 60 Kansans simultaneously. I don't wan to forget the pilots and the flight attendants who were doing their jobs, and the military personnel we lost. All those lives are so valuable,   and it is such a tragedy that we lost them." 

By Brian Dakss
 

World champion Russian figure skaters were on board, TASS says

The Reuters news agency reported that Russia's state-run TASS news agency, citing a source, said Russian figure skaters and coaches Yevgenia Shishkova and Vadim Naumov were on the plane.

They won the world championship in pairs figure skating in 1994, Reuters noted, and got married the following year.

By Brian Dakss
 

First major U.S. commercial air crash in almost 16 years

The last major U.S. commercial air crash occurred in February 2009 when a Continental Airlines flight out of Newark, New Jersey, operated by Colgan Air crashed into a house as it was approaching the airport in Buffalo, New York. That plane was a Bombardier Q400. Forty-nine people died in the tragedy. Continental merged with United Airlines in 2010. 

The last major American Airlines crash occurred in November 2001 near John F. Kennedy International Airport. American Airlines Flight 587, an Airbus A300, crashed shortly after takeoff, killing 265 people. It was bound for Santo Domingo in the Dominican Republic. The plane crashed in the Belle Harbor area of the Rockaways in the New York City borough of Queens. 

By Faris Tanyos
 

Search and rescue effort a "highly complex operation," fire chief says

District of Columbia Fire and Emergency Medical Services Chief John Donnelly told reporters in a news briefing early Thursday that state and federal agencies were taking part in search and rescue operations, operating under a unified command.

"It's a highly complex operation, the conditions out there are extremely rough for the responders. It's cold. They're dealing with relatively windy conditions," Donnelly said.  

Emergency Crews Respond To Aircraft Crash Near Reagan National Airport
Emergency response units in the Potomac River near Ronald Reagan Washington Airport on Jan. 30, 2025, after. an American Airlines flight from Wichita, Kansas collided with a helicopter. Andrew Harnik / Getty Images

He later noted the water is dark, "murky," about 8 feet deep, and contains "pieces of ice."

"It's just dangerous and hard to work in. And because there's not a lot of lights, you're out there searching every square inch of space."  

By Faris Tanyos
 

Reagan National Airport to remain closed until late Thursday morning, officials say

Reagan National Airport will remain closed until at least 11 a.m. Thursday, Jack Potter, president and CEO of the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority, told reporters early Thursday morning.

"That's when the first flights will take off," Potter said, later adding that the time was "fluid" and could change. 

Flights at Reagan National have been grounded since the collision occurred at about 9 p.m. Eastern Time Wednesday. 

Potter said flights at Dulles International Airport and Baltimore/Washington International Airport were not being impacted by the incident. 

By Faris Tanyos
 

American Airlines CEO expresses "deep sorrows" about crash

American Airlines CEO Robert Isom said in a video statement, "First and most importantly, I'd like to express our deep sorrows about these events."

"This is a difficult day for all of us at American Airlines, and our efforts now are focused entirely on the needs of our passengers, crew members, partners, first responders, along with their families and loved ones," Isom said. 

Isom said American Airlines is cooperating with the National Transportation Safety Board's investigation and that he and members of their "go-team" would be heading to Washington, D.C., shortly.

"We understand and appreciate the people are eager for information, please know that we will continue to share accurate and timely information as soon as we can, but anything we must report, must be accurate," he said, adding that, "We owe that to everyone involved."

Isom said the airline has set up a helpline and those who had friends or loved ones on the flight can call 1-800-679-8215.

By Jordan Freiman
 

At least 19 dead, source says

A law enforcement source told CBS News at least 19 bodies had been recovered as of 2:50 a.m. ET. A police official at the scene told CBS News that no survivors had been found as of 11:30 p.m. ET.

By Kris Van Cleave
 

All flights grounded at Reagan Washington National Airport

Following the crash, all flights were grounded Wednesday night at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA), which is located in Arlington, Virginia, just outside Washington, D.C. An announcement at the airport said it will not reopen before 5 a.m. Thursday. All passengers with grounded flights have been directed to rebook.

 

President Trump briefed on crash, releases statement

The White House released a statement from President Trump Wednesday night.

He said: "I have been fully briefed on the terrible accident which just took place at Reagan National Airport. May God Bless their souls. Thank you for the incredible work being done by our first responders. I am monitoring the situation and will provide more details as they arise."

Later he posted on Truth Social: "The airplane was on a perfect and routine line of approach to the airport. The helicopter was going straight at the airplane for an extended period of time. It is a CLEAR NIGHT, the lights on the plane were blazing, why didn't the helicopter go up or down, or turn. Why didn't the control tower tell the helicopter what to do instead of asking if they saw the plane. This is a bad situation that looks like it should have been prevented. NOT GOOD!!!"

 

Helicopter was on training flight

The Army said the Sikorsky H-60 Black Hawk helicopter involved in the crash was based out of Fort Belvoir, Virginia.

The helicopter was on a training flight at the time of the accident, a spokesperson for the Joint Task Force-National Capitol Region, Heather Chairez, told CBS News. Chairez said the chopper belonged to the B Company, 12th Aviation Battalion.

A Defense Department official told CBS News that three soldiers were aboard the helicopter, with no senior officials on board.   

 

Search operations underway in Potomac River

Search and rescue efforts were underway in the Potomac River following the crash. A police official at the scene told CBS News there were three debris fields in the water.

"The accident happened in the river," a dispatcher said in scanner audio obtained from air traffic control. "Both the helicopter and the plane crashed in the river." 

 

64 people aboard flight from Wichita, Kansas

American Eagle flight 5342, carrying 60 passengers and four crew members, collided with a U.S. Army Black Hawk helicopter carrying three soldiers Wednesday night while trying to land at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport outside Washington, D.C. 

"A PSA Airlines Bombardier CRJ700 regional jet collided in midair with a Sikorsky H-60 helicopter while on approach to Runway 33 at Reagan Washington National Airport around 9 p.m. local time," the Federal Aviation Administration said in a statement. 

The plane, operated by American Airlines, had taken off from Wichita, Kansas, the FAA said.

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