CRJ7 / H60, vicinity Washington National DC USA, 2025

CRJ7 / H60, vicinity Washington National DC USA, 2025

Summary

On 29 January 2025, a Mitsubishi CRJ700, operating a scheduled airline flight on short final approach to land on runway 33 at Ronald Reagan Washington National in night VMC collided with a U.S. Army Sikorsky UH60 helicopter. The helicopter was on a training flight using a designated restricted-height route which intersected the runway 33 extended centreline. The UH60 had requested and received ‘own separation’ from the other traffic. This route had a maximum height of 200 feet agl but no lateral limits. Both aircraft were destroyed, and there were no survivors.

Description

On 29 January 2025, a Mitsubishi (formerly Bombardier) CRJ700 (N709PS) operated for American Airlines by their subsidiary PSA Airlines on a scheduled domestic passenger flight from Wichita to Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA) as AA5342 was on short final and cleared to land on runway 33 at destination. At approximately 300 feet agl in night visual conditions (VMC), the CRJ collided with a U.S. Army Sikorsky UH60 helicopter assigned to ‘Priority Air Transport’ work and based at Davison Army Airfield, approximately 11 nm southwest of the accident site. This helicopter was on a visual flight rules (VFR) training flight and at the time was heading south with the CRJ700 reportedly in sight. The wreckage of both aircraft fell into the Potomac River and all 67 occupants of both aircraft were killed. 

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