A PSA Bombardier CRJ-700 operating an American Airlines flight had a midair collision with a military helicopter over the Washington DC area.
This accident happened in the evening hours of Wednesday, the 29th of January. This is the first crash of an American-registered commercial aircraft in the United States since Colgan Air Flight 3407 in 2009.
It involved American Airlines flight AA-5342, departing from Wichita Dwight D. Eisenhower National Airport (KICT). Its destination is Washington Ronald Reagan National Airport (KDCA).
PSA performs this service daily on behalf of American Airlines, using a CRJ-700 or -900, which typically arrives at Ronald Reagan Airport at approximately 9 PM local time. The airline stated that the aircraft in the accident had 60 passengers and four crew members on board.
PSA CRJ-700 Approach and Crash
According to reports and video on social media, the PSA CRJ-700 had a mid-air collision with a U.S. Army Sikorsky H-60 “Blackhawk” helicopter. An Army official stated that there were three crew on board the helicopter, which was operating from Fort Belvoir in Virginia.
In a statement, the FAA announced that it will investigate the accident alongside the NTSB. The helicopter had an active Mode-S transponder but was not broadcasting ADS-B information, according to FlightRadar24. All flights in and out of Ronald Reagan Airport stopped after the crash.
Both the helicopter and the PSA CRJ-700 appear to have ended up in the Potomac river. A number of rescue helicopters and other vehicles quickly rushed to the scene.
ADS-B data appears to show the PSA aircraft initially lining up with runway 1 at Ronald Reagan Airport before turning to the right, to make an approach to runway 33. It is not clear if this played any role in this accident.
The PSA aircraft is a Bombardier (now Mitsubishi) CRJ-700 (-701ER) with registration N709PS. It first entered service just over twenty years ago, initially operating flights on behalf of US Airways before the airline merged with American Airlines.
This is a breaking story and will be updated. For updates directly from American Airlines, go HERE
Updates
It has been confirmed that an air traffic controller asked the PSA CRJ-700 flight crew to switch their approach from runway 1 to 33, to ease traffic flow. The collision happened when the CRJ was descending through 200 feet.
The controller also asked a helicopter if they had the CRJ in sight, and the helicopter responded affirmatively. However, there were multiple helicopters in the airspace, and another aircraft was taking off at the same time.
Four hours after the crash, there were still no reports of any survivors among the 64 occupants of the aircraft or the three helicopter crew.
In a newer briefing officials report that the operation is transiting from rescue to recovery, as they no longer expect to find any survivors. The bodies of 27 people have been recovered from the PSA CRJ-700, and one more body from the helicopter.
Additional source: Aviation Herald
9 comments
NewRunner
I live right next to KDCA with a view of the flight line and Rwy 15/33 and Rwy 01/19. The transiting of military helicopters along the Potomac River is a regular and routine occurrence that happens tens of times a day, both in daylight hours and at night. In my listening to the KDCA Tower frequencies, the helos usually check in with the Tower and get a clearance to proceed on one of many helo tracks along the river. These tracks are for the helos based at either Marine Corps Base Quantico, home of HMX-1, the Marine VIP squadron that flies Marine One when the President is aboard, or based at Ft Belvoir, home of the Army Blackhawk unit for the mishap helo.
The helo routes usually do not cross any of the runway approaches, except one route which crosses the Rwy 33 approach. Typically the helos are advised to stay clear of the landing traffic – something the controller warned the helo -callsign PAT25 – to do at least twice. Most helos I observe either slow down or pass behind the landing jet. The Rwy 33 approach is usually a circling approach that splits off from the standard approach for Rwy 01.
If you live in this area, you see helos and jets coexist in the airspace on a routine, and constant basis. This accident was tragic and it should result in changes to some procedures but the overall environment has been remarkably safe for decades, given the volume of air traffic.
Ronald Monsen
Do those helo tracks include separation from the circling approach to 33? The jet flew the 01 ILS and perfectly executed the dog leg visual for 33. The ADSB track of that helo looked like my dog running in the woods.
Ronald Monsen
I think it would be informative to know the SOP for those helicopters wandering across the Potomac in front of two approaches and departures. I got the impression they routinely fly with no clear ATC vectoring.
Clive Wilton
I have to say, I find it staggering that the helicopter would be anywhere near the glideslope. Presumably the CRJ was flying IFR and therefore ATC would normally have provided adequate separation. If this turns out to be an ATC failure, I feel very sorry for the controller, who must already be feeling like sh*t and an investigation will only stretch that out. I hope she or he gets the necessary support ….
Mats Hemmingsson
As I understand, the CRJ was exactly were it was supposed to be, descending from 500 feet, on final and stabilized. The helicopter came from below.
Something that struck me when looking at ATC “screen” Why did not the controller notice that they were on the same altitude? The helicopterpilot was on a training flight.
Dave Davenlr
Very sad. I also wondered about TCAS but was told it’s inhibited at the altitude the CRJ was at. I would submit allowing any aircraft to fly across the 3 degree glideslope at slope altitude should be stopped.
M E
I’m curious why there presumably wasn’t a TCAS resolution advisory? TCAS also works with Mode-S transponders, no?
Spyros Georgilidakis
TCAS resolution advisories are typically inhibited below a certain altitude (reportedly 1,000 feet). Crews may still get traffic alerts, however.
Dov Kalman
Too many plane crashes recently. Aviation authorities, specifically the FAA have to restructure safety near congested airspace. There have been tremendous upgrades in the aircraft itself, in the last decades, but not many upgrades on ATC.