Latest news with #BombardierCRJ-701
Yahoo
31-01-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Why will flags in North Carolina fly at half-staff on Friday?
(WGHP) — North Carolina Governor Josh Stein ordered all U.S. and N.C. flags on state facilities to fly half-staff from sunrise to sunset on Friday in tribute to the victims who died Wednesday night in the crash between an American Airline flight and Blackhawk helicopter over the Potomac River. The FAA said the midair crash occurred before 9 p.m. EST in some of the most tightly controlled and monitored airspace in the world, just over 3 miles south of the White House and the Capitol. American Airlines Flight 5342 was inbound to Reagan National at an altitude of about 400 feet (122 meters) and a speed of about 140 mph (225 kph) when it rapidly lost altitude over the Potomac River, according to data from its radio transponder. The Canadian-made Bombardier CRJ-701 twin-engine jet, manufactured in 2004, can be configured to carry up to 70 passengers. A few minutes before landing, air traffic controllers asked the arriving commercial jet if it could land on the shorter Runway 33 at Reagan National and the pilots said they were able. Controllers then cleared the plane to land on Runway 33. Flight-tracking sites showed the plane adjust its approach to the new runway. The U.S. Army said the helicopter involved was a UH-60 Blackhawk based at Fort Belvoir in Virginia. A crew of three soldiers were onboard the helicopter, an Army official said. The helicopter was on a training flight. Military aircraft frequently conduct training flights in and around the congested and heavily restricted airspace around the nation's capital for familiarization and continuity of government planning. 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 Reagan. The plane's transponder stopped transmitting about 2,400 feet (732 meters) short of the runway, roughly over the middle of the river. Video from an observation camera at the nearby Kennedy Center showed two sets of lights consistent with aircraft appearing to join in a fireball. The U.S. Army described the helicopter as a UH-60 Blackhawk based at Fort Belvoir in Virginia. Military aircraft frequently conduct such training flights in and around the nation's capital. 'My heart goes out to everyone who lost loved ones in the tragic DCA plane crash. Anna and I are praying for all involved, including the families of the Charlotte-based crew members,' Stein said. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
CBC
30-01-2025
- CBC
No survivors after midair collision near Washington, D.C., officials say
The American Airlines passenger plane was a Canadian-made Bombardier CRJ-701 twin-engine jet manufactured in 2004. It can be configured to carry up to 70 passengers. MHIRJ now owns the production contract for the plane series. In a statement, the aviation company said it 'stands ready' to help federal investigators in the U.S. 'We express our condolences to everyone affected by this incident. Our focus will be on collaborating effectively throughout the ongoing investigation,' read a statement to CBC News. The helicopter was a UH-60 Black Hawk based at Fort Belvoir in Virginia, according to the U.S. Army. Manufacturer Lockheed Martin said the aircraft can carry up to 12 troops.
Yahoo
30-01-2025
- General
- Yahoo
DCA plane crash: See airline travel alerts, advisories
The Brief Recovery efforts are ongoing in the Potomac River after a small American Airlines plane and an Army helicopter collided, causing the plane to crash into the water near Reagan National Airport (DCA) in Washington, DC, on Wednesday night. The FAA has closed Reagan National Airport until 11 a.m. Thursday. Multiple airlines have issued travel alerts and advisories for DCA-related flights. Recovery efforts are underway in the Potomac River after a small American Airlines plane collided with an Army helicopter before crashing into the water near Reagan National Airport (DCA) in Washington, DC, on Wednesday night. As a result of the deadly crash, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has ordered the closure of Washington Reagan National Airport until 11 a.m. on Thursday. Multiple airlines have issued travel alerts and advisories for DCA-related flights. The most reliable way to check if your flight is delayed or canceled is directly through your airline. You can use the airline's mobile app, visit their website, or, if you're already at the airport, check the counter or monitor displays for updates. Here are some helpful links for tracking travel alerts and flight status updates for most major airlines: American Airlines Flight Status American Airlines Travel Alerts Delta Air Lines Travel Alerts Delta Air Lines Flight Status Frontier Airlines Travel Alerts Frontier Airlines Flight Status Southwest Airlines Travel Alerts Southwest Airlines Flight Status Spirit Airlines Travel Alerts Spirit Airlines Flight Status United Airlines Travel Alerts United Airlines Flight Status JetBlue Travel Alerts JetBlue Airlines Flight Status What we know According to the FAA, the midair collision occurred around 9 p.m. ET Wednesday when American Airlines flight 5342, arriving from Wichita, Kansas, collided with a military Blackhawk helicopter while approaching the airport runway. The jet, a Canadian-made Bombardier CRJ-701 twin-engine aircraft, was at an altitude of approximately 400 feet and traveling at about 140 miles per hour when it suddenly lost altitude over the Potomac River, FOX 5 DC reported. American Airlines confirmed that 60 passengers and four crew members were on the aircraft, while three soldiers are believed to have been on the helicopter – which was on a training mission. U.S. Figure Skating confirmed several members were aboard the American Airlines flight when it crashed. In an update on Thursday morning, DC officials confirmed that they believe there are no survivors and have transitioned the operation from search and rescue to a recovery effort. More than a dozen bodies have been pulled from the wreckage of the crash. Officials are still working to learn how the flights came into the paths of each other. STAY CONNECTED WITH FOX 35 ORLANDO: Download the FOX Local app for breaking news alerts, the latest news headlines Download the FOX 35 Storm Team Weather app for weather alerts & radar Sign up for FOX 35's daily newsletter for the latest morning headlines FOX Local: Stream FOX 35 newscasts, FOX 35 News+, Central Florida Eats on your smart TV The Source This story was written based on information shared by DC officials, the FAA and details provided on airline websites.
Fox News
30-01-2025
- Politics
- Fox News
Army sec nominee questions whether military pilots should do flight training near Washington airport
Army secretary nominee Daniel Driscoll questioned whether Army helicopters should be flying training missions in one of the nation's most congested flight paths after Wednesday's tragic Washington, D.C.-area collision. "It's an accident that seems to be preventable," Driscoll, an Army veteran, said during a Thursday confirmation hearing at the Armed Services Committee. "There are appropriate times to take risk and inappropriate times to take risk," he said. "I think we need to look at where is an appropriate time to take training risk, and it may not be at an airport like Reagan." Sixty-four people were aboard the American Airlines flight inbound from Wichita, Kan., which collided with an Army Sikorsky H-60 Black Hawk helicopter just before it was set to touch down at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport. Authorities do not believe anyone survived. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth revealed the three soldiers who were aboard the chopper were a "fairly experienced crew" doing a "required annual night evaluation." "We anticipate that the investigation will quickly be able to determine whether the aircraft was in the quarter at the right altitude at the time of the incident," he said. In a blunt Truth Social post, President Donald Trump called the crash "a bad situation that looks like it should have been prevented." "The airplane was on a perfect and routine line of approach to the airport. The helicopter was going straight at the airplane for an extended period of time," Trump wrote. "It is a CLEAR NIGHT, the lights on the plane were blazing, why didn't the helicopter go up or down, or turn. Why didn't the control tower tell the helicopter what to do instead of asking if they saw the plane." Ronald Reagan Washington National, an airport owned by the federal government, has been the subject of debate for years. It has one of the shortest runways in the industry, yet Congress approved additional flight slots in 2024 as part of its Federal Aviation Administration bill. The flight from Wichita, Kan., had just been added in 2024. The airport faces complicated aviation logistics near hyperprotected airspace near the Pentagon, White House and Capitol, but lawmakers have pushed to keep it open due to the convenience of its proximity to D.C. "We're gonna have to work together to make sure that never happens again," Driscoll said in his Thursday confirmation hearing, promising to take a hard look at what training was needed, particularly amid the Army's increased use of its vertical lift aircraft. Less than 30 seconds before the crash, an air traffic controller asked a helicopter if it had the arriving plane in sight, according to air traffic control audio. The controller made another radio call to the helicopter moments later, saying "PAT 25 pass behind the CRJ" — apparently telling the chopper to wait for the Bombardier CRJ-701 twin-engine jet to pass. There was no reply. Seconds after that, the aircraft collided. Military helicopters regularly cross over the D.C.-area airport's flight paths to ferry senior government officials over the Potomac River into D.C. No senior officials were on board the downed Black Hawk, according to the Army.
Yahoo
30-01-2025
- General
- Yahoo
What is known about the collision between a passenger jet and Army helicopter near DC
ARLINGTON, Va. (AP) — A jet with 60 passengers and four crew members collided with an Army helicopter while approaching Ronald Reagan National Airport near Washington, D.C., sending the two aircraft plummeting into the Potomac River. Everyone on board the two aircraft is feared dead, officials said Thursday. The collision occurred Wednesday night in some of the world's most tightly controlled and monitored airspace, just over 3 miles (5 kilometers) south of the White House and the U.S. Capitol. Here are some things to know about the collision: The crash The collision happened at around 9 p.m. when a regional jet at the end of a flight from Wichita, Kansas, collided with a military helicopter on a training exercise, according to the Federal Aviation Administration. A few minutes before the jet was to land, air traffic controllers asked American Airlines Flight 5342 if it could do so on a shorter runway, and the pilots agreed. Controllers cleared the jet to land and flight tracking sites showed the plane adjust its approach to the new runway. Less than 30 seconds before the crash, an air traffic controller asked a helicopter if it had the arriving plane in sight. The controller made another radio call to the helicopter moments later, saying 'PAT 25 pass behind the CRJ" — apparently telling the copter to wait for the Bombardier CRJ-701 twin-engine jet to pass. There was no reply. Seconds after that, the aircraft collided. The plane's radio transponder stopped transmitting about 2,400 feet (732 meters) short of the runway, roughly over the middle of the Potomac. The body of the plane was found upside-down in three sections in waist-deep water, officials said. The helicopter's wreckage was also found. Emergency response Authorities conducted a massive search-and-rescue operation that turned into a recovery mission. Roughly 300 first responders were at the scene early Thursday. Inflatable boats were combing the river and first responders set up light towers along the shore to illuminate the area. Helicopters from law enforcement agencies throughout the region were also being used in the methodical search for bodies. 'We are now at the point where we are switching from a rescue operation to a recovery operation,' Washington fire chief John Donnelly said at a Thursday morning news conference. 'We don't believe there are any survivors.' Victims If everyone on board the plane did die, it would be the deadliest U.S. air crash in nearly 24 years. At least 28 bodies had been pulled from the river's icy waters as of mid-morning. The passengers included figure skaters returning from the 2025 U.S. Figure Skating Championships in Wichita and two of their Russian coaches, Evgenia Shishkova and Vadim Naumov. Other Russian nationals in addition to Shishkova and Naumov were also on the plane, according to the Kremlin. Coaches, skaters and others had been at the championships, which concluded Sunday, and a development camp. Shishkova and Naumov were married and won a 1994 world championship in pairs figure skating. "We are devastated by this unspeakable tragedy and hold the victims' families closely in our hearts,' U.S. Figure Skating said in a statement. The airport Located along the Potomac just southwest of Washington, Reagan National is a popular choice because it's much closer to the city than the larger Dulles International Airport. All takeoffs and landings from Reagan were halted. It was set to reopen at 11 a.m. Thursday, the FAA said. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said at a news conference that the night was clear and that prior to the collision, the plane and helicopter flight paths 'were not unusual for what happens in the D.C. airspace." 'I would just say that everyone who flies in American skies expects that we fly safely," he said. "That when you depart an airport, you get to your destination. That didn't happen last night, and I know that President Trump, his administration, the FAA, the DOT, we will not rest until we have answers for the families and for the flying public.' The investigation Investigators will try to piece together the aircraft's final moments before their collision, including contact with air traffic controllers as well as a loss of altitude by the jet. The aircraft The helicopter was a UH-60 Blackhawk based at Fort Belvoir in Virginia, according to the U.S. Army. A crew of three soldiers were on board the helicopter, an Army official said. The plane was a Canadian-made Bombardier CRJ-701 twin-engine jet and was manufactured in 2004. It can carry up to 70 passengers. History of fatal aircraft crashes Fatal crashes of commercial aircraft in the U.S. are rare. The last was in 2009 near Buffalo, New York. All 45 passengers and the four crew members were killed when the Bombardier DHC-8 propeller plane crashed into a house. One person on the ground was also killed. The incident Wednesday recalled the crash of an Air Florida flight that plummeted into the Potomac on January 13, 1982, killing 78 people. That crash was attributed to bad weather.
