Newly released footage has revealed shocking details about the tragic collision between a US military helicopter and an American Airlines passenger jet near Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport last Wednesday, which killed all 67 people aboard both aircraft.
The American Airlines flight 5342, operated by PSA Airlines and flying from Wichita, Kansas, collided with a military helicopter over the Potomac River while on its final approach to Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport. The impact caused both aircraft to crash into the Potomac River.
According to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, the Army unit involved was Bravo Company, 12th Aviation Battalion, which is based at Fort Belvoir.
The Black Hawk’s crew was operating under night vision conditions, and the purpose of the flight was to maintain required operational proficiency.
“It was an annual proficiency training flight,” said Hegseth in a video statement.
“When we look at the crew, and not all can have been notified, so we’re going to withhold the ranks and names at this point. We do know on our side who was involved.
He added, “It was a fairly experienced crew that was doing a required annual night evaluation. They did have night vision goggles.”
Exclusive information obtained earlier by Fox News revealed that the instructor pilot in command of the Black Hawk had logged over 1,000 flying hours.
Meanwhile, the co-pilot, a woman with 500 flying hours, possessed what is regarded as a standard level of experience within aviation circles.
The crew chief of the ill-fated U.S. Army helicopter has been identified as Ryan O’Hara, a 2014 graduate of Parkview High School in Lilburn, Georgia.
Chief Warrant Officer Andrew Eaves, one of the pilots aboard the Black Hawk, leaves behind a wife and children.
The American Airlines flight crew involved in the tragic midair collision has also been released. The crew members have been identified as:
- Captain Jonathan Campos
- First Officer Samuel Lilley
- Flight Attendant Ian Epstein
- Flight Attendant Danasia Elder
Newly surfaced footage obtained by CNN has provided a clearer picture of the events leading up to the disaster.
WATCH:
NEW: President Trump is questioning the situation surrounding the Black Hawk’s collision with the American Airlines flight as new footage is released.
In a post on Truth, Trump appeared to disclose that the pilot was flying above the 200 foot limit.
“The Blackhawk helicopter… pic.twitter.com/6HqEVLLeDU
— Collin Rugg (@CollinRugg) January 31, 2025
Here’s another video:
SECOND ANGLE: DC Mid-Air Collision
New footage has emerged showing a second angle of the tragic mid-air collision between the military Blackhawk helicopter and the commuter jet over Washington, DC.
This new perspective raises even more questions—was this purely an… pic.twitter.com/7xWzuRz4Jl
— Project Constitution (@ProjectConstitu) January 31, 2025
Preliminary investigations suggest that air traffic control had communicated with the helicopter about the incoming passenger jet seconds before the collision.
The helicopter pilot reportedly acknowledged the message, but the subsequent actions remain under scrutiny.
In the recording, an air traffic controller can be heard asking the helicopter pilot, “PAT 25, do you have the CRJ in sight?”
The controller then instructs, “PAT 25, pass behind the CRJ.” However, no response is heard from the helicopter crew.
On Friday, Trump issued a new statement regarding the tragic collision, stating, “The Blackhawk helicopter was flying too high, by a lot. It was far above the 200-foot limit. That’s not really too complicated to understand, is it???”
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has recovered the flight data recorders from both aircraft and is analyzing the information to determine the cause of the accident, according to BBC.
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