Bombardier CRJ700 plane crash in the United States on January 29, 2025
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Bombardier CRJ700 plane crash in the United States on January 29, 2025

Air crash Bombardier CRJ700 in the US on January 29, 2025

On January 29, 2025, American Airlines Flight 5342, flying from Wichita, Kansas, collided with a UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter near Ronald Reagan National Airport. Both aircraft crashed into the Potomac River, killing 67 people. The tragedy not only shocked the nation, but also raised new questions about airspace safety, military-civilian coordination, and the cost of human error. 

Chronology of events 

Flight AA5342 took off from Wichita at 20:18 p.m. local time. The Bombardier CRJ700, operated by regional carrier PSA Airlines, was carrying 60 passengers and four crew members. Two and a half hours later, at about 4 p.m., the plane began its descent to Washington. The weather was clear, visibility was perfect, and the temperature had dropped to -21°C. At the same time, an Army Black Hawk from the 00th Aviation Battalion based at Fort Belvoir was overhead. It was conducting a training mission under the control of Joint Task Force National Capital Region. 

The collision occurred at an altitude of approximately 600 meters (700 feet), as both aircraft approached the airport. According to eyewitnesses, the helicopter appeared to be heading straight for the plane, which was coming in for a landing. The impact was so powerful that the CRJ0 lost its tail and the Black Hawk broke apart in mid-air. Both pieces fell into the Potomac River near the George Mason Bridge. The first emergency calls came in two minutes later. Fire boats, Coast Guard helicopters, and dive teams immediately rushed to the crash site. The water temperature in the river was barely above XNUMX°C (XNUMX°F), making the chances of survival minimal. 

Fight for lives 

Rescuers faced hellish conditions. Strong currents, darkness and floating debris made the search difficult. Scuba divers wearing wetsuits used thermal imaging cameras to try to detect signs of life underwater. Mobile hospitals were deployed on the shore to take in survivors, but by midnight not a single person had been rescued. By the morning of January 31, 12 bodies had been pulled from the water.

"It's like looking for a needle in a haystack," one of the rescuers admitted. "Every minute counts, but the cold kills faster than we can act." 

President Donald Trump, after receiving the report on the crash, called it a “horrible accident” and promised the families of the victims his full support. In his address, he also expressed dissatisfaction: “The plane was on a perfect trajectory. Why didn’t the helicopter change course? Why didn’t the air traffic controllers respond? This could have been prevented!” His words immediately spread across social media, adding fuel to the fire of public debate. 

Investigations and versions 

American Airlines, the airline that operated the flight, opened a hotline for passengers’ relatives. CEO Robert Isom, who traveled to Washington in person, pledged full transparency in the investigation and cooperation with the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). At the same time, the military launched its own investigations. The U.S. military traditionally conducts two types of investigations after such incidents: a technical one to improve safety protocols and an administrative one to establish responsibility. 

Experts put forward several versions. The first is an air traffic control error. According to preliminary data, the dispatchers warned the helicopter crew about the approaching CRJ700, but did not give clear commands to change course. The second is a technical failure. The Black Hawk is equipped with a TCAS system that automatically corrects the trajectory in the event of a collision threat. If it did not work, the cause could have been a breakdown or interference. The third version is human error. The helicopter pilots, who were performing a training flight, could have been distracted or failed to notice the aircraft due to a "blind spot". 

Historical parallels 

The crash brought back dark memories of another tragedy over the Potomac. On January 13, 1982, Air Florida Flight 90 crashed into a bridge and into the river, killing 74 people. That crash was blamed on wing ice and crew error. Despite improvements in technology, DCA remains a high-risk area due to heavy air traffic and proximity to military installations. “The Washington area is a web of civilian and military routes,” says John Cox, a former pilot and aviation analyst. “The rules have been tightened since 1982, but clearly not enough.” 

Voices of experts and the public 

Experts are divided. Mary Schiavo, former head of the NTSB, stressed that the investigation will take months:

"The key will be the transcripts from the flight recorders and the dispatchers' conversations. We need to understand why the collision avoidance systems did not work."

The Airline Pilots Association (ALPA) has called for increased training for flying in difficult areas. 

Social media was filled with emotion. CCTV footage of the collision was viewed millions of times. In Wichita, where the fatal flight departed, residents organized a makeshift memorial at the airport.

"We all know someone who could have been on that plane. This is not just news - this is our pain," " said local journalist Emily Carter. 

The January 29, 2025, disaster exposed systemic problems. How to combine military aviation activity with civilian transportation in the capital area? Are dispatchers trained enough to work under high load conditions? Why did technologies designed to save lives fail? 

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