On Friday, January 31st, investigators were still working hard to salvage the wreckage of two planes that crashed in a tragic air disaster in Washington DC on Wednesday night, resulting in the death of all 67 people aboard both planes, including two Chinese citizens.
The incident occurred when a American Airlines regional jet collided in mid-air with a U.S. Army Black Hawk helicopter near Washington DC and both crashed into the Potomac River.
After the accident, the Washington Fire Department launched a large-scale search and rescue operation in the Potomac River and recovered the black box of the plane the following day. Investigators planned to continue salvage operations on Friday, February 2nd, to find more aircraft components to determine the cause of the accident.
As of the evening of February 1st (Thursday), over half of the victims’ bodies had been recovered. This incident marked the deadliest aviation disaster in the United States in nearly 24 years. Due to the proximity of the accident site to the White House and Capitol Hill, it triggered a reexamination of airspace security in the nation’s capital.
According to the investigation by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), American Eagle Flight 5342, a Bombardier CRJ700 aircraft, was approaching Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport from Wichita, Kansas, with 60 passengers and 4 crew members onboard. The collision occurred as the aircraft was on final approach, colliding with the Black Hawk helicopter conducting nighttime training. Flight tracking data from FlightRadar24 indicated the collision happened at around 300 feet, exceeding the military’s prescribed altitude limit of 200 feet for the helicopter.
Air traffic control communications revealed that the helicopter was warned of the approaching aircraft and instructed to change course but failed to avert the collision. The incident occurred with only one air traffic controller managing aircraft and helicopter traffic at the airport instead of the standard two, raising questions about U.S. airspace management.
The Chinese Embassy in the United States confirmed that among the victims were two Chinese citizens, without disclosing their identities. Other victims included passengers from Russia, Germany, the Philippines, and the United States, with significant losses in the figure skating community.
Reports from Golden Skate stated that the U.S. Figure Skating Association confirmed the deaths of 17 members of the figure skating community, including athletes, coaches, and family members en route from a National Development Camp in Wichita.
Tragically, among the victims were three individuals from Delaware: skaters Sean Kay and Angela Yang, coach Alexandr Kirsanov, figure skaters Jinna Han and Spencer Lane, both their mothers Jin Han and Christine Lane, and renowned Russian figure skating coaches Evgenia Shishkova and Vadim Naumov.
Pergentino Malabed Jr., head of the Philippine National Police’s Supply Management Division, also perished in the accident while on a trip to the United States to inspect equipment purchases for the Philippine police force.
Additionally, 26-year-old Indian-American Asra Hussain Raza, a graduate of Indiana University and consultant in Washington, lost her life in the tragedy.
Information regarding the identities of the victims is still being released. Reports suggested that the Han mother-daughter pair were of Korean descent, not yet officially confirmed. Angela Yang was reported as Chinese-American in some Chinese media but lacked official confirmation.
The Chinese Embassy in the United States confirmed the deaths of two Chinese citizens and stated that they were in contact with U.S. authorities.
The impact of this air disaster has shocked the world and raised extensive concerns about American aviation safety management.
Following the incident, President Donald Trump took to the Truth Social platform to express that the accident was a “disaster that could have been avoided.”
“This plane was on a standard and perfect approach to the airport while the helicopter was heading straight towards the plane for a long time. The sky was clear last night, the lights on the plane were very bright, so why didn’t the helicopter ascend, descend, or change direction? Why didn’t the tower directly instruct the helicopter on what to do, instead of just asking if they saw the plane?” Trump added, “This was a disaster that could have been avoided.”
American Airlines CEO Robert Isom mentioned that the pilot of the flight had about six years of flying experience and met all safety requirements.
Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth stated that the helicopter involved was piloted by three experienced soldiers with night vision goggles for their annual training mission. Following the incident, all flight operations of the unit were temporarily suspended, and the military would reassess flight training arrangements in the area.
Currently, the families of the victims are awaiting more detailed investigation results. The NTSB stated that the accident investigation could take several months and emphasized that no conclusions had been drawn regarding the cause of the accident.