Passenger jet and US Army helicopter collide and crash in Washington DC | BBC News

[@mitch-dum]

You just never know. Be kind and be conscious, tomorrow isn't promised. R.I.P. to all those involved.

[@Bobby-LeeChanning]

no one knows when their time is over

[@Poco-tr9xw]

​@@Bobby-LeeChanningthis world is just a test, we are in transit, The real time starts after we depart

[@Anthony-hu3rj]

@Poco-tr9xw And you're crazy. This is not a test. This is it. Live.

[@Bobby-LeeChanning]

@Poco-tr9xw evidence?

[@wqv5423ln]

​@Poco-tr9xwyes...be ready. John 3:16-21

[@CHIPSSALTY]

You can't even fly a small drone over anywhere close to the airport, nevermind the runway. But yeah let's fly a whole Blackhawks helicopter over an active runway.

[@99Plastics]

Sounds like you hate freedom

[@baryonyx9642]

@@99Plastics Govy bot spotted

[@leedavies3563]

@@99Plastics you melt

[@peggajordan5635]

The military base is on the other side of the Potomac.

[@sfrancis7856]

​@99Plastics what freedom 😂😂😂 Americans don't have freedom 😂😂

[@itsvictoroyedeji]

America has really been going through it in 2025. And it's not even February yet

[@Terry-te1ij]

Going through what? - from USA

[@nirvanafan500]

​​​@@Terry-te1ijFrom Europe the US has become respected again. Now's a time proud to be American for sure

[@drianolem3520]

😂​@@nirvanafan500

[@andrew30m]

@@nirvanafan500You are joking?

[@1006-i7e]

​@@nirvanafan500 You really believe that? Do you know what is happening internationally? Do you know what BRICS is?

[@TheCassandra258]

American here, wanted to find the ACTUAL news.

[@_____nope_____]

BBC, The Guardian, The Telegraph, The Economist, DW... The only news I'll listen to. American news is garbage.

[@UnCoolDad]

You come to the wrong place.

[@FastidiousFalchion]

Brit here. Wrong place bud.

[@pondeify]

@@FastidiousFalchion BBC is pretty good at reporting on non-British stories, for anything relating the UK it's heavily woke censored

[@Flypidge]

The BBC are as corrupt as they get. Also these reporters are garbage.....who uses the word "origination"

[@IrishBelmont]

Pilot here: ATC radio was released. PAT25 (Blackhawk) said: “PAT25 got the CRJ traffic insight, maintaining visual separation.” A few seconds later he crashes into the plane. I find it disturbing that he admitted to have the traffic in sight and then a few seconds later he crosses the final approach corridor and collides. I think the mental health of this military pilot needs to be called into question. Because I highly doubt he lost sight of a CRJ700, at night, in VFR conditions, on approach to landing.

[@born2fish00]

The blackhawk possibly was visual with the wrong aircraft - maybe the other one that was taking off just prior to the crash?

[@0LT4R]

Juan on his @blancolirio channel suggested that maybe the helicopter pilot mistook another plane taking off at the time for the CRJ. Some news sources claim the helicopter was performing a training flight - if the crew was relatively inexperienced, is it possible they made this kind of error?

[@A_Haunted_Pancake]

@@born2fish00 Sounds more plausible than a military pilot suddenly going nuts and intentionally ending the lives of both the people in his helicopter and the plane.

[@taitatenai]

I’m saddened to hear about this tragic loss. My deepest condolences and prayers to the family members involved. It is truly a sad day in America today.

[@RoxanneM-]

It’s been sad for awhile.

[@y_fam_goeglyd]

Another heartbreaking tragedy. Deepest condolences to the families and friends of those lost in this accident. 💔😥

[@Abdul-e3m]

Strange that all Western media report the plane colliding with the helicopter. This infers the fault was with the airline and not the military. The plane clearly had the right of way due to the extreme difference in manoeuvrability and thus it was the military helicopter that collided with the plane. Words matter. My heart goes out to those injured.

[@wqv5423ln]

It's still being investigated. I heard the plane suddenly droppef

[@charleshowie2074]

🙄 if they had said 'mid air collision,' you would be clutching your pearls for some other reason. It's not strange at all. A plane *did* collide mid-air with a helicopter. You can infer what you wish from that, not everybody is an expert at airtraffic control, BBC included, least of all fifteen minutes after it took place.

[@dbfzato-1327]

Passenger jet and US Army helicopter collide is the title, what about that puts blame on one over the other?

[@bromion5123]

Surely the air traffic on the ground knew about a possible collision? Obviously we do not know the circumstances. Was it pilot error? We do not know.

[@andreadover]

Other news is reporting that the helicopter was warned and collided with the commercial flight.

[@hourbee5535]

The army helicopter had no business being any where near the final approach path of that airport.

[@brandonelam4284]

Military helicopters fly through there all the time.

[@mdog6726]

@@brandonelam4284…and 🫡🔥

[@covidonenine1948]

Air traffic control authorised the military helicopter to pass behind the commercial aircraft iaw visual flight rules separation

[@j.j.9123]

Military has issued statement that the copter was on a training mission. Sounds like a pilot who wasn’t experienced flying through all the night lights at the airport.

[@mdog6726]

@@brandonelam4284 🫡🔥

[@christopherjustice6411]

Jesus Christ. I live in Wichita, the flight was out of Wichita Kansas. We just lost a lot of our people tonight.

[@ritasantina1621]

😢

[@_ArsNova]

60? Out of a population of 400,000?

[@brandongrant7752]

@@_ArsNovawack comment.

[@wqv5423ln]

Flight 5342...60-68 souls in total. Helicopter had three soldiers in board

[@_ArsNova]

@@brandongrant7752 Sorry I don't think 0.015% is a lot.

[@afrinatasneem375]

Seriously, has the army lost airspace for training that they need to be operating over airports?

[@evulclown]

This honestly can only be something that Pete Hegseth, the Secretary of Defence, would have had oversight of... I was worried that these culture war political requests by Trump of the armed forces would be distracting them from their real job and events like these only go to reinforce that ideal. Pete Hegseth having zero experience to be in this position of massive responsibility and demand for detail can not have helped either.

[@HUeducator2011]

Trump has been harassing federal employees for one week. He has ordered them to not do their jobs in order to put unqualified loyalists in office.

[@theonemodifier]

Get the heading right, you're blaming it on the passenger jet. The Black Hawk army helicopter came up from behind and collided into the plane. The plane was where it was supposed to be in its final approach. No time and place for army helicopter pilots to be training

[@leedavies3563]

You know f all, melt

[@Abdul-e3m]

Exactly. Just like all the other Western media are doing! CNN in all web articles keep saying that the plane collided with helicopter. This infers the fault was with the airline and not the military. The plane clearly had the right of way due to the extreme difference in manoeuvrability and thus it was the military helicopter that collided with the plane. Words matter. My heart goes out to those injured.

[@logiclust]

trump gutting the FAA on musk's behave as well as eliminating the aviation safety committee may have played a role

[@scousertommy8220]

Where does it blame the passenger plane?? By stating what occurred does NOT proportion blame!

[@bromion5123]

So you have inside information?

[@ishwarlama3615]

Too tragic a incident. My condolences to the bereaved family members. Rip all those who have lost their precious lives !

[@joshuakampamba9061]

😢sad news after sad news. It's so overwhelming...oh Lord hold tight the families of those who have died❤🇿🇲

[@evulclown]

Was the Pilot of the military helicopter drunk? Obviously as Pete Hegseth is an alcoholic and in charge of the armed forces now it's only natural that people will see his actions as an example of the standards they should be kept to.

[@heyheytaytay]

"Military intelligence" is the king of oxymorons

[@Buderbukz]

Megadeth "The military intelligence Two words combined that can't make sense"

[@FishandHunt]

@@Buderbukz Hanger 18?

[@A_Haunted_Pancake]

(Slow, sarcastic clap). It's one thing to steal an old and moderately funny joke, but I doubt Black Hawks do M.I. flights around Wahington D.C. Airports.

[@Ndriana]

An American Eagle downed by a Black Hawk. In Washington. Signs of time?

[@PhaRoaH87]

Whoever authorised military helicopters to fly in that area during passenger jet approach etc Should be held responsible. Why oh why? The chances of them colliding are very slim, but one day it would happen and now it has 😳

[@kimclarke5018]

It’s restricted airspace here, there should not have been a helicopter flying near the airport. I live in the Virginia side.

[@1006-i7e]

This is the Trump military.

[@bromion5123]

The air traffic people surely knew about a possible collision. Or am i being stupid?

[@Atticus6557]

Pete Hegseth.

[@TrustMe55]

Terribly sad for all involved

[@maryannerangel9735]

This should not have happened, what a shame, making it more difficult for some people to want to fly, it is really unfortunate and hopefully there will be a very careful investigation.

[@isabellrc]

I live near DC. This remains too busy for air travel. I realize this is an important airport for many reasons. I always fly out of BWI in Baltimore, Maryland. I remember the horror of the air disaster at this airport location in the 8Os. Knowing 18 bodies have been recovered is very sad…. More needs to be done to create safer air/land flights. My deepest condolences to all those who have lost their lives. 🙏🏻

[@bromion5123]

I think i agree with you. I did read about the plane which landed in the same river a couple of years back.

[@steveruss84]

Sending thoughts and prayers to those involved 🙏

[@donnabrown4349]

I believe 64 passengers on the regional jet and 3 on the BlackHawk.

[@ZM00716]

Why was a military helicopter near a passenger jet in the 1st place?

[@DrCaseyRuther]

Why was a Blackhawk in that airspace?

[@efeddwdw9782]

a blackhawk in dc? its common

[@peggajordan5635]

Because the military base is there.

[@bromion5123]

You know it was a blackhawk?

[@DarkCreed]

Looking for illegal aliens

[@star_wz]

helicopters go through there all the time. it’s normal

[@badabinbadaboom7338]

Deregulation works so effing fine, doesn't it?

[@ScoopDogg]

UPDATE: The flight has been confirmed as American Airlines Flight 5342, with 68 souls aboard: 4 crew and 64 pax. The U.S. Army has identified the helo as C/S “PAT 25”, a VH-60M, which is used for VIP transports

[@wqv5423ln]

three soldiers plus n board

[@-SUM1-]

*64, 4 crew and 60 passengers.

[@DarkCreed]

Was there a VIP on board the copter?

[@prof.heinous191]

BBC: "Blue and red sirens..."

[@PaulGrayUK]

Excellent attention to detail there Sir. Synesthesia!

[@paulverlaine.007]

Yes I heard them.

[@prof.heinous191]

@ Everyone is allowed a slip of the eyeball!

[@redalert2834]

Was Pete Hegseth trying to fly one of his new toy helicopters with a bottle of vodka in one hand?

[@thundercity311]

Crass comment.

[@saltmerchant749]

@@thundercity311 Crass Secretary of Defence.

[@DrEgonCholakian]

DUI Secretary of Defense

[@billmetal]

@@saltmerchant749 your lucky we even defend you

[@1006-i7e]

@@billmetal You're lucky the Blue States support you.

[@magdasafrina8038]

This is the end of American era

[@Sheldon-cg8uj]

Wow hearts go out to the families what a tragedy

[@rosenjambi3374]

Praying for the bereaved families,may God give you strength to endure

[@Spaceman-jk5fb]

🙏

[@RobbieStacks90]

Rest in peace to everybody involved. There is no way that crash was survivable.

[@brandonelam4284]

They just pulled four people alive from the water

[@toryberch]

I know 😢 the water temp was 35 deg at the time of impact

[@rahinc]

RIP to the deceased, not everybody involved.

[@leedavies3563]

@@RobbieStacks90 rest in piece, you know saying that does f all right you melt

[@toryberch]

@brandonelam4284 Really? Oh praise be!!

[@robyn_southafrica]

Damn 'murica😢. RIP to those who died and condolences to their families 💔🕊️🙏🏾

[@bromion5123]

Why Damn America? Americans have just lost their lives. Have a heart.

[@wqv5423ln]

Flight 5342 from Witchita, KS 60 passengers plus crew. One report said the passenger plane suddenly dropped which caused the collision.

[@0LT4R]

There's a video footage showing that the plane was on a perfectly stabilized approach while the helicopter crossed its path crashing into it. I suspect the reports about the plane 'suddenly dropping' come from people misinterpreting FlightRadar24 data: yes, the plane did drop - *after being crashed into*. Probably someone mistook the effect for the cause, but man - you have to really lack imagination to not realize that and run it as news...

[@ritasantina1621]

Condolências a todos 😢💔💔💔🇧🇷

[@yhr827]

I wonder if people give questions about this accident. The crash between the airplane and the military helicopter, is that possible?

[@lulahelen16]

😢😢😢 another tragic we shld praying thr souls 😔🙏🙏🙏😘

[@g.badarivishal7353]

How can there be such a callous behaviour by the disciplined Army. What business they had to do near the Civilian air port. With utter disregard to take off and touch down timings of the flights. Who permitted them to operate in the vicinity of runway.

[@bromion5123]

We do not know the circumstances causing the collision so do not get on your high horse.

[@evulclown]

Best to ask the man Trump put in charge of the armed forced, the alcoholic Pete Hegseth.

[@badabinbadaboom7338]

When you chose a drunkard TV celebrity as Secretary of Defense shitzu like this is bound to happen.

[@Stefano10ace-e9l]

... the Helo flew into the Aircraft. The Military has explaining to do.

[@alanc457]

Defending against enemies both domestic and foreign

[@tellyclemmons4]

I would love to know who was on the plane because the video doesn't look like, "the passenger plane collided worth the helicopter..." js!

[@al28854]

why does the screen show 'LIVE Arlington, VA' while the reporter is in RRN Airport in DC ?

[@fifidessources]

I am really sorry for the poor people on that plane, the helicopter staff too, but the passengers on that plane have no training and its freezing cold out there and dark...Absolutely terrible! My heart goes out to all of them and I am hoping that at least some of those poor people will be safed...

[@stevenbaer5999]

My deepest condolences sympathy and prayers for the people who lost their lives. I have to say that the American🇺🇲 flag should be flown half mast in their honor. 🙏✝️🇺🇲💔

[@GurkiratXSingh]

100% fault of the Army

[@evulclown]

Pete Hegseth , the Secretary of Defence, authorising military Helicopters to train on busy commercial flight paths at night is utterly unforgivable. How do you have no experience to realise this is a recipe for disaster?!

[@pondeify]

are you questioning the brave servicemen and women of Americanistan??

[@Hao-yp7mg]

希望人員們平安🙏

[@AskAlex1999]

No one is safe.

[@TheCassandra258]

Inauguration was moved indoors because his crowd size was going to be small. Please as an america report it right.

[@bromion5123]

Please learn to spell.

[@Blablablarandomguy]

Life is short and fragile, do not waste it

[@evulclown]

Was probably a helicopter doing one of Trumps mandated ICE immigrant hunts and too busy looking at the roads and alleys for any non-white children hiding that they could snatch up. Really easy to get tunnel vision doing that and not notice a collision. Very unfortunate :/

[@Rory-m9i]

How does a military blackhawk helicopter crash into a plane?

[@bromion5123]

We do not know if that occured .

[@RAJ-Jamcal]

Rest in peace to the deceased and condolences to their families

[@RisNandar-c9h]

It's not a small plane. The water is not warm. Terribly sad for all involved.

[@jilliango15]

rip to the victims. how could this happen considering the advancement of aviation technologies.

[@nioengland]

Was the Helicopter Unmanned ?

[@Spaceman-jk5fb]

I don't think that technology exists yet.

[@nioengland]

@Spaceman-jk5fb We have Rockets that can Return to Base and be Captured by a Giant arm and you Think a Helicopter cannot be controlled Remotely ??

[@Spaceman-jk5fb]

@@nioengland I don't trust Skynet 😢

[@narrativequestion]

no smoke or fire or bits of aircraft to be seen. very strange indeed

[@jenmu7870]

Poor Trump can't blame Biden this time. 😁

[@FGKing-gc3xn]

Blame the immigrants

[@najmabegum5789]

​@@FGKing-gc3xn😂😂

[@TembelTembelovicWTF]

seems like you born dumb, right?

[@DejiiJones_]

Huh..what a low intelligence comment 😂😂😂😂😂😂. Congratulations for setting the bar even lower on my expectations for you libs

[@1006-i7e]

@@FGKing-gc3xn They will blame DEI. Lord, "what fools these mortals be."

[@glendaburness1492]

How could this have been an accident? The helicopter flew straight into the plane. The plane would have been like a huge light beacon on what looks like completely clear skies. How did the helicopter not see the plane from miles away. I am so sorry for all the passengers and their family and friends.

[@GGutium]

The helicopter had collided into the airplane. Nevertheless, prayers and condolences to the souls and families on both parties 🙏

[@wqv5423ln]

One report said the plane suddenly dropped. That's why they collided...but still under investigation

[@GGutium]

@@wqv5423ln let's see what the black boxes say.

[@chitrasusy1201]

Alas!Tragedies are occurring frequently in the news ...so sad and upset!

[@hmq9052]

"This would never have happened if I was your President" - Donald Trump

[@beverlyhill9947]

Your comment is so sarcastic at a time when many of us feel total sadness and sorrow...

[@RR-zq3mk]

Cope better. You’re losing

[@1006-i7e]

@@beverlyhill9947 I bet you joked about the immigrant deportations.

[@jennajt]

My first thoughts were who’s on board they want gone?

[@lSeKToRl]

Defunding agencies having results at warp speed.

[@JamesBond-c2p]

If you were not told the broadcasting company, you could easily guess who it was.....

[@Kelechi149]

R.i.p to the lost souls

[@nohoneynomoney7072]

I can’t believe just how many accident on aviation as a whole in the world just 1 month into 2025 Almost every week I am hearing one or two accident occur OMG

[@billmetal]

get over it

[@hashtagalong]

The reporter certainly got there fast

[@AskAlex1999]

They’re stationed in DC

[@narrativequestion]

remember the beeb reporting building 7 collapsing before it actually had?

[@niller2006]

A week after Donald Trump fired heads of TSA, Coast Guard and gutted key aviation safety advisory committee, a plane crashed down in Washington DC.

[@evulclown]

It's okay though, he installed his DEI hires who are ex fox news staff or loyalists with zero experience but can be counted on to not question the emperor. What could go wrong.

[@alntr2872]

It looks more like the helicopter collided with the aircraft.

[@PaulGrayUK]

Tragic loss, whatever the causality, such a sad loss of life 😢

[@keeya_ks]

Only yesterday the west was mocking India’s holy festival and the unfortunate loss of lives where 100 million people attended but they seem respectful when the deceased as from their nations and the west

[@SusanDianeHowell]

That helicopter was hijacked.

[@evulclown]

Russian intelligence services maybe? They have been very bold in their sabotage operations on the US and the West...

[@watersandblue6001]

Rip to the victims😢

[@markgladwell8927]

US Cant even Fly a Helicopter Straight, how do they expect to Invade another Country

[@wqv5423ln]

Your comment is ignorant. The facts are not even in.

[@BluntyBlue-e1l]

Oh shut up you uk idiot

[@BluntyBlue-e1l]

Mark grow up

[@AbuRushd]

How this could happen in a tech infested world where two planes could collige in such a way? And what a military hel had been doing near the approach path of the commercial planes? Strange! Prayers for the victims.

[@ToadRage-Turgon]

Women pilots

[@CO0000]

Crap happens

[@bromion5123]

Collide and helicopter.Also a helicopter is not a plane.

[@badabinbadaboom7338]

​@@ToadRage-Turgon🤡

[@HommeTerre]

In the images we see a huge explosion outside the plane was about to land so its tanks are more or less empty, was the helicopter armed (missile or other)?

[@andreahodson7031]

The helicopter collided with the plane, get it right!

[@raghavgupta8906]

The difference in tone from yesterday's report of the Kumbh Mela tragedy is stark Shows how deep rooted racism is in the BBC

[@Siddharth03579]

A plane and a helicopter collided above Ronald Reagan National Airport, causing debris to trickle down from the sky to the river below.

[@ellaluna5514]

Washington National Airport!

[@Abidjan-weekly]

RIP, I always avoid reagan as much as possible due to the congestion in that area and how planes swing people before landing. My choise is dulles for flights. real tragedy and RIP to all lives lost.

[@AlecSylvester]

Sad indeed

[@maxliya466]

Blackhawk was on a suicidal mission-there’s no other explanation. He might be another PTSD-stricken American soldier, like the guy who rammed a truck in New Orleans.

[@mkuti-childress3625]

They were supposed to be on a training mission, so I wonder if the pilot was less experienced or new to the area. We won’t know until the investigation is completed.

[@0LT4R]

There's a saying - never attribute to malice what you can attribute to incompetence. The helicopter pilot was advised by ATC about the CRJ on approach and confirmed he has them in sight, but it's plausible that he mistook another plane, taking off at the time, for the one he should be aware of, and simply didn't see the CRJ, crashing into it as the result. Who allowed a military helicopter on a training flight at night near a civilian airport like that is another matter - and another point for the incompetence, I'd guess...

[@KristinaUSA-x5n]

@@0LT4RI do not believe in coincidence. Patterns beg to differ.

[@A_Haunted_Pancake]

"there’s no other explanation"? You mean you found an explanation that fits your world view and settled for that. It's a busy Airport at night - a million things could have gone wrong without any of them being intentional.

[@sm7085]

First an f-35 and now a black hawk

[@BrawlerTM]

You must be joking 😢 what is going?

[@LePedant]

Who was on that passenger plane? Who did they want to take out?

[@Bobby-LeeChanning]

your mother

[@pizzabagerenmujaffa8123]

There is no room here for stupid comments .

[@LePedant]

@@Bobby-LeeChanning Nah, she died in 2019.

[@ahmedalharbi9428]

I am sorry for your loss man those people I call social media pussies, they won’t dare say that in real life

[@Benbenbenbenbenn]

@@LePedantwe will find out soon brother. Or probably, we never will find out. They Dont even try hide this stuff anymore. For every one person who is awake to these bullshit media lies and coverups from the government, there is five people who just blindly follow and believe anything they hear on the news. And the government know this, so they do what they want and get away with it everytime. I gave up caring a long time ago, accepted that even the worst conspiracy theories aren't as bad as what really goes on, realised I couldn't do anything about it to change it, and just let go. Sad but now I just focus on my own happiness and the people around me.

[@captainbuggernut9565]

Let's hope this isn't linked to anything Trump has done. Some safeguards clearly failed in order for these two aircraft to come into contact. Government employees can be found in many places. My thoughts to the families of those involved in this tragedy.

[@MrCleitus]

Idiot.

[@pizzabagerenmujaffa8123]

Terrible accident 😢😢😢

[@jenA9026]

On different radio frequencies?

[@billburnhope2176]

Didn’t the helicopter collide with the airliners? Get it right!

[@jayzelev7962]

Who was on that plane? Was it a " hit"??

[@Itakke-v1v]

Who was on board the passenger jet?

[@lobzangdorji5490]

So tragic

[@Alabanzas159]

"Black Hawks are capable of detecting threats 🔴 Are you saying they located Bin Laden late at night, yet they fly directly into commercial airspace?"

[@evulclown]

It's possible that they were searching for potentially undocumented Mexican children cowering in fear, doing sweeps of the area for ICE on Trumps behalf and simply became too distracted by their desire to catch someone.

[@Giah-iv7fo]

It's scary

[@joshnicholson2934]

American air safety is an actual joke.

[@micaeldematos759]

This presenter reads as if she's reading to 5 year old.. 😂😂😂 BBC 😂😂😂 what a joke

[@kimclarke5018]

I live on the Virginia side of the river. They are not announcing here anything about bodies pulled from the river other than 4 that went to hospitals. The river is very cold as it has been quite cold here the last couple of weeks.

[@WilliamsPinch]

How dose this happen

[@DrEgonCholakian]

Because Trump defunded the FAA

[@Itakke-v1v]

What type of plane was the passenger plane?

[@billybunter6659]

Could it be the air traffic controllers that are at fault and nothing to do with the helicopter or plane,seems very suspiscous especially with it being runway 33.and in the capitol.

[@badabinbadaboom7338]

Was the helicopter pilot blind or something? A comercial jet is a pretty big object. Even if there was mistake by air controllers the helicopter pilot would be able to SEE a bigass comercial plane.

[@Lighthouses]

Terrible tragedy, I am praying for everyone. However Reagan airport at runway 33...hummm.

[@rabiazeb9051]

is there any survivors?

[@summer_of_kinchou]

TCAS didn't work?

[@covidonenine1948]

Not below 1000ft agl

[@summer_of_kinchou]

@@covidonenine1948 I see. Thank you!