An American Airlines flight operated by PSA Airlines was involved in a midair collision with a military helicopter on Wednesday night near Washington, D.C.
The American Airlines’ subsidiary has ties that go back decades in Ohio, and just said it was moving its headquarters to Charlotte.
D.C. police confirmed a crash had taken place over the Potomac and that search and rescue operations were taking place in the river. Donald Trump later weighed in.
American Airlines Group Inc. (NASDAQ: AAL) owns PSA, which already has a large presence in Charlotte, operating regional flights on American’s behalf. American is based in Fort Worth, Texas, but runs its second-largest hub at Charlotte Douglas, known as CLT.
Authorities continue to search for bodies and determine what led to the Wednesday, Jan. 29, midair collision between an American Airlines jet and a U.S. Army Black Hawk helicopter over the Potomac River in the Washington,
“A PSA Airlines Bombardier CRJ700 regional jet collided in midair with a Sikorsky H-60 helicopter while on approach to Runway 33 at Reagan Washington National Airport around 9 p.m. local time,” the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) said in a statement.
The search and rescue mission was transitioning to a recovery mission, and no survivors were expected, DC Fire and EMS Chief John Donnelly said.
The PSA Airlines Bombardier CRJ-700 collided in midair as it approached the D.C. airport around 9 p.m. local time, according to the Federal
The number of people onboard and any fatalities is unknown at this time. The plane can carry up to 65 passengers and four crew members.
An American Eagle flight crew from Charlotte was onboard a plane that collided with a military Black Hawk helicopter over the Potomac River by Washington, D.C., according to multiple media reports and at least one crew member’s family.
Both the captain, Jonathan J. Campos, 34, and co-pilot, Sam Lilley, 28, had been flying for years, according to family and friends.