Passenger Jet and Military Helicopter Collide in Potomac River Near Reagan National Airport
Source: bostonglobe.com Midair Collision Leads to Tragic Crash A regional jet, American Airlines Flight 5342, crashed into the Potomac River near Washington, D.C.’s Reagan National Airport after colliding midair with a military Black Hawk helicopter . The incident occurred around 9 p.m. on Wednesday, as the plane was preparing to land. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) confirmed that the collision took place while the plane was approaching Runway 33. The flight, operated by PSA Airlines for American Airlines , had departed from Wichita, Kansas, earlier in the evening, carrying 60 passengers and four crew members. The military Black Hawk helicopter, identified as a Sikorsky H-60, was conducting a routine training flight with three Army soldiers onboard. According to the FAA, the plane was about 400 feet above the ground and traveling at 140 miles per hour when it lost altitude rapidly over the river. Witnesses reported that the military helicopter was found upside do...