On January 29, 2025 there was a tragic incident involving a midair collision between an American Airlines passenger jet and an Army helicopter near Washington, D.C.. The collision occurred while the American Airlines flight was landing at Ronald Reagan National Airport.
- Fatalities: All 67 people on board both the American Airlines jet and the Army helicopter were killed. The jet had 60 passengers and 4 crew members, while the helicopter carried 3 soldiers.
- Crash Location: The wreckage of the aircraft was found in the icy waters of the Potomac River. Recovery efforts were underway to retrieve the bodies, with at least 28 bodies recovered from the water.
- FAA Report on Staffing: The FAA report indicates that staffing at the air traffic control tower was not as it should have been. Normally, two people would have been handling the tasks at the tower, but one air traffic controller was responsible for duties typically shared by two people when the crash occurred. This “not normal” staffing configuration may have contributed to the incident.
- Investigation: The exact cause of the collision is still under investigation, and no official conclusions have been made yet. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy emphasized that authorities are working swiftly to determine the cause.
- Timing and Circumstances: The incident occurred late in the day, which may have compounded the challenges for air traffic controllers, especially given the volume of air traffic at the time.
The collision is being investigated as the deadliest U.S. aviation disaster in nearly 25 years, highlighting concerns about the complexities of D.C.’s airspace, which has long been a source of concern for pilots due to its congestion and complexity.
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