Passenger jet collides with helicopter while landing at Washington-area airport

A passenger jet collided in midair with a military helicopter late Wednesday 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 were halted as helicopters from agencies across the region flew over the scene in search of survivors. Inflatable rescue boats were being launched into the river from a point along the George Washington Parkway, just north of the airport.

U.S. President Donald Trump was briefed, his press secretary said, and Vice-President J.D. Vance encouraged followers on the social media platform X to “say a prayer for everyone involved.”

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) said the midair collision occurred around 9 p.m. ET when a regional jet that had departed from Wichita, Kansas, smashed into a military Blackhawk helicopter while on approach to a runway.

The FAA said it and the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board would investigate.

‘Tower did you see that?’

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 the airport.

In a post on social media, American Airlines said it was aware of reports that one of its flights was involved 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.”