- Jan 24, 2024
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The Professional Aviation Safety Specialists has released the following statement on the plane-helicopter collision:
33m ago14.07 EST
Joanna Walters
A number of mainstream media outlets have named the pilot and first officer on the American Eagle flight that crashed as Jonathan Campos and Sam Lilley.
CNN, the Daily Mail, Fox and some local media have identified the two men and the Guardian is working on verifying the names itself.
Campos was just 34 and Lilley was only 28, it was reported.
From video, there appeared to be no discernible deviation in the lines that the Bombardier jet the two men were flying and the Black Hawk helicopter that the army was flying took before the collision and resulting fireball last night.
Lilley’s father Timothy talked of losing his son. “It hurts so bad I cannot even cry myself to sleep,” CNN reported.
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Updated at 14.12 EST
1h ago13.44 EST
Michael Sainato
The statement issued by Greg Regan and Shari Semelsberger, president and secretary-treasurer of the Transportation Trades Department, AFL-CIO (TTD), continues:
“As a nation, we are in mourning. From our capital city to Kansas and beyond, the news of Flight 5342 weighs heavy on the hearts of our citizens. We are forever grateful for the rescue and recovery efforts of emergency responders, including the International Association of Fire Fighters (IAFF) members, who battled the icy waters of the Potomac throughout the night.”
They added: “We are also thinking of our nation’s dedicated air traffic control workforce, represented by the National Air Traffic Controllers Association (NATCA), and the essential work they do every day to keep our flying skies safe.
“The days and weeks ahead are unthinkable for the individuals whose lives have been forever altered by this tragedy. Yet, we are a land of survivors. As we wait for the National Transportation Safety Board and Federal Aviation Administration to conclude its investigation, we urge everyone to refrain from speculating and to let the facts guide our path forward.”
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Updated at 14.13 EST
1h ago13.30 EST
Michael Sainato
The leaders of the transportation labor federation that represents aviation unions and workers across America have released a statement on the crash:
Greg Regan and Shari Semelsberger, president and secretary-treasurer of the Transportation Trades Department, AFL-CIO (TTD), repsonded to the mid-air collision of American Eagle flight 5342, en route from Wichita, Kansas, to Washington DC, and a military helicopter on a routine training flight near Ronald Reagan National airport.
The statement said:
View image in fullscreen
An American Eagle flight takes off from Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport in front of the wreckage of a commercial airplane that collided with a military helicopter, in Arlington, Virginia, USA, 30 January 2025. Photograph: Jim Lo Scalzo/EPA
2h ago13.01 EST
Here are some more images coming through the newswires of recovery efforts currently under way in the Potomac River:
View image in fullscreen
Flight 5342 collided with a Black Hawk helicopter while approaching Reagan National airport on Wednesday. Photograph: Kevin Lamarque/Reuters
View image in fullscreen
Emergency response units search the crash site. Photograph: Kayla Bartkowski/Getty Images
View image in fullscreen
Investigators gather pieces of wreckage along the Potomac River. Photograph: Andrew Caballero-Reynolds/AFP/Getty Images
View image in fullscreen
Investigators carry pieces of wreckage from the waters of the Potomac River. Photograph: Andrew Caballero-Reynolds/AFP/Getty Images
View image in fullscreen
Search and rescue teams work in the aftermath of crash. Photograph: Carlos Barría/ReutersShare
Updated at 13.11 EST
2h ago12.37 EST
The first confirmed victims of the Washington DC plane crash include figure skating champions.
The Guardian’s Anna Betts reports:
Among the earliest confirmed victims of the American Airlines jet carrying 60 people that collided in midair with an Army Black Hawk helicopter carrying three soldiers were two figure skaters returning from the US figure skating championships, along with two of their coaches and two of their parents.
The Skating Club of Boston said in a statement on Thursday that Jinna Han and Spencer Lane, along with parents Jin Han and Christine Lane and coaches Evgenia Shishkova and Vadim Naumov were aboard the plane on Wednesday night.
The group was returning from the US figure skating national development camp, a program for “young competitive skaters of tomorrow”, following last week’s US championships in Wichita, Kansas.
“Our sport and this club have suffered a horrible loss with this tragedy,” said Doug Zeghibe, the CEO and director of the Skating Club of Boston. “Skating is a tight-knit community where parents and kids come together six or seven days a week to train and work together. Everyone is like family.
“We are devastated and completely at a loss for words.”
For the full story, click here:
First confirmed victims of Washington DC plane crash include US figure skating champions
Read more
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2h ago12.14 EST
Updated at 12.23 EST
3h ago11.56 EST
David Smith
Trump continued to turn what might have been a sombre briefing into a baseless rant against DEI (diversity, equity and inclusion) despite no evidence of a link with the plane crash.
The president was backed to the hilt by the transportation secretary, Sean Duffy, who said “we can only accept the best and the brightest” in positions affecting passenger safety, and the defence secretary, Pete Hegseth, who echoed: “The era of DEI is gone at the defence department and we need the best and brightest.”
View image in fullscreen
Trump at the briefing. Photograph: REX/Shutterstock
Then came the vice-president, JD Vance, who claimed “we want to hire the best people” who are “actually competent enough to do the job”.
Trump returned to the lectern to claim that “very powerful tests” for competence in air traffic control were “terminated” by Joe Biden.
CNN’s Kaitlin Collins asked: “Aren’t you getting ahead of the investigation?” Trump replied: “No, I don’t think so at all ... I don’t think that’s a smart question. I’m surprised, coming from you.”
Another reporter asked why Trump believes DEI is responsible. He said: “Because I have common sense and unfortunately a lot of people don’t. We want brilliant people doing this. This is a major chess game at the highest level.”
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Updated at 13.42 EST
3h ago11.49 EST
Donald Trump said that authorities “will be giving [the list of passenger names] very soon”.
He added that he would announce in a couple of hours the other nationalities who were on board the American Airlines plane.
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Updated at 11.53 EST
3h ago11.42 EST
Pete Hegseth, the defense secretary, is now speaking.
“There was some sort of an elevation issue that we have immediately begun investigating at the DOD and army level, Army CID on the ground,” Hegseth said.
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Updated at 11.48 EST
3h ago11.41 EST
Sean Duffy, the transportation secretary, is now speaking.
He said: “When Americans take off in airplanes, they should expect to land at their destination. That didn’t happen yesterday. That’s not acceptable, and so we will not accept excuses, but will not accept passing the buck.”
“We are going to take responsibility at the Department of Transportation and the FAA to make sure we have the reforms that have been dictated by President Trump in place to make sure that these mistakes do not happen again,” Duffy added.
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Updated at 11.52 EST
3h ago11.39 EST
“And you have people that lost their lives,” he added.
“One thing we do know, there was a lot of vision, and people should have been able to see that. You know, at what point do you stop at? What do you say, well, that plane’s getting a little bit close?” Trump continued.
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Updated at 11.42 EST
3h ago11.37 EST
“We had a situation where you had a helicopter that had the ability to stop … You can stop a helicopter very quickly. It had the ability to go up or down, it had the ability to turn. And the turn it made was not the correct turn, obviously, and did somewhat the opposite of what it was told,” Donald Trump said.
“They shouldn’t have been at the same height, because if it was at the same height, you could have gone under it or over it, and nobody realized, or they didn’t say, that it’s at the same height … It could have been 1000ft higher, it could have been 200ft lower, but it was exactly at the same height and somebody should have been able to point that out,” he added.
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Updated at 11.54 EST
3h ago11.34 EST
David Smith
Wearing a dark blue suit, white shirt and red tie, Donald Trump entered the White House briefing room at 11.21am, accompanied by defence secretary Pete Hegseth and transportation secretary Sean Duffy, both new to their jobs.
“I’d like to request a moment of silence for the victims and their families please,” Trump said.
After the pause, and in softer, graver tones than usual, he resumed: “I speak to you this morning in an hour of anguish for her nation.”
Trump provided a description of the incident, noting: “Sadly, there are no survivors.” He described it as “a tragedy of terrible proportions” that has “really shaken a lot of people”.
The president added: “We are all heartbroken, we are all searching for answers. That icy, icy Potomac ... cold water.”
Trump said “we have very strong opinions and ideas” about how the accident happened then reverted to taking political swipes at Barack Obama and Joe Biden over air traffic controller standards. “The word talented. You have to be naturally talented geniuses.”
In a harsher tone than before, he is now complaining about diversity and inclusion in FAA programmes and describing former transportation secretary Pete Buttigieg as a “disaster” who has a “good line in bullshit”.
Analysis
www.theguardian.com
As are many in the tight-knit aviation community, PASS is shocked and saddened by the collision over National Airport in Washington, DC last night. It appears there were no survivors among the passengers and crew aboard American Eagle Flight 5342 and a US Army Black Hawk helicopter.
With heartfelt compassion, we mourn the lives of all the souls who perished last night and send our sympathies to their loved ones. PASS extends its deepest condolences to our fellow unions—the Association of Flight Attendants-CWA and the Air Line Pilots Association—who lost crew members in the crash. PASS represents many Army veterans at the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the Department of Defense.
They are saddened to see three of their own killed during a training exercise.Before anyone speculates on the cause of the crash, the union asks that everyone allow first responders to continue their recovery mission and federal investigators to do their critical jobs. PASS stands ready to assist the FAA and the National Transportation Safety Board with their probe into the accident and to continue to improve the world’s largest, safest and most complex air traffic control system.
33m ago14.07 EST

Joanna Walters
A number of mainstream media outlets have named the pilot and first officer on the American Eagle flight that crashed as Jonathan Campos and Sam Lilley.
CNN, the Daily Mail, Fox and some local media have identified the two men and the Guardian is working on verifying the names itself.
Campos was just 34 and Lilley was only 28, it was reported.
From video, there appeared to be no discernible deviation in the lines that the Bombardier jet the two men were flying and the Black Hawk helicopter that the army was flying took before the collision and resulting fireball last night.
Lilley’s father Timothy talked of losing his son. “It hurts so bad I cannot even cry myself to sleep,” CNN reported.
Share
Updated at 14.12 EST
1h ago13.44 EST
Michael Sainato
The statement issued by Greg Regan and Shari Semelsberger, president and secretary-treasurer of the Transportation Trades Department, AFL-CIO (TTD), continues:
“As a nation, we are in mourning. From our capital city to Kansas and beyond, the news of Flight 5342 weighs heavy on the hearts of our citizens. We are forever grateful for the rescue and recovery efforts of emergency responders, including the International Association of Fire Fighters (IAFF) members, who battled the icy waters of the Potomac throughout the night.”
They added: “We are also thinking of our nation’s dedicated air traffic control workforce, represented by the National Air Traffic Controllers Association (NATCA), and the essential work they do every day to keep our flying skies safe.
“The days and weeks ahead are unthinkable for the individuals whose lives have been forever altered by this tragedy. Yet, we are a land of survivors. As we wait for the National Transportation Safety Board and Federal Aviation Administration to conclude its investigation, we urge everyone to refrain from speculating and to let the facts guide our path forward.”
Share
Updated at 14.13 EST
1h ago13.30 EST
Michael Sainato
The leaders of the transportation labor federation that represents aviation unions and workers across America have released a statement on the crash:
Greg Regan and Shari Semelsberger, president and secretary-treasurer of the Transportation Trades Department, AFL-CIO (TTD), repsonded to the mid-air collision of American Eagle flight 5342, en route from Wichita, Kansas, to Washington DC, and a military helicopter on a routine training flight near Ronald Reagan National airport.
The statement said:
There’s more to come from this statement.“Yesterday, America experienced the darkest day in aviation history since the fatal Colgan Air plane crash in 2009. We are devastated by the loss of all 64 souls onboard Flight 5342, including 60 passengers and 4 crew members, as well as the three service members aboard the Black Hawk helicopter. Our hearts are with the families, friends, and loved ones of all who perished. May their memories be a blessing.”
It continued: “The aviation industry is widely unionized, and a loss of this magnitude is felt across our entire labor family. An injury to one is an injury to all. We extend our deepest condolences to our siblings at the Association of Flight Attendants (AFA) and the Air Line Pilots Association (ALPA), whose members were crewing the plane.
“Our sympathies are also with the United Association (UA) Steamfitters Local 602, who had four members on the flight, as well as the global figure skating community, whose skaters, coaches, and loved ones were also among the victims.”

An American Eagle flight takes off from Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport in front of the wreckage of a commercial airplane that collided with a military helicopter, in Arlington, Virginia, USA, 30 January 2025. Photograph: Jim Lo Scalzo/EPA
2h ago13.01 EST
Here are some more images coming through the newswires of recovery efforts currently under way in the Potomac River:

Flight 5342 collided with a Black Hawk helicopter while approaching Reagan National airport on Wednesday. Photograph: Kevin Lamarque/Reuters

Emergency response units search the crash site. Photograph: Kayla Bartkowski/Getty Images

Investigators gather pieces of wreckage along the Potomac River. Photograph: Andrew Caballero-Reynolds/AFP/Getty Images

Investigators carry pieces of wreckage from the waters of the Potomac River. Photograph: Andrew Caballero-Reynolds/AFP/Getty Images

Search and rescue teams work in the aftermath of crash. Photograph: Carlos Barría/ReutersShare
Updated at 13.11 EST
2h ago12.37 EST
The first confirmed victims of the Washington DC plane crash include figure skating champions.
The Guardian’s Anna Betts reports:
Among the earliest confirmed victims of the American Airlines jet carrying 60 people that collided in midair with an Army Black Hawk helicopter carrying three soldiers were two figure skaters returning from the US figure skating championships, along with two of their coaches and two of their parents.
The Skating Club of Boston said in a statement on Thursday that Jinna Han and Spencer Lane, along with parents Jin Han and Christine Lane and coaches Evgenia Shishkova and Vadim Naumov were aboard the plane on Wednesday night.
The group was returning from the US figure skating national development camp, a program for “young competitive skaters of tomorrow”, following last week’s US championships in Wichita, Kansas.
“Our sport and this club have suffered a horrible loss with this tragedy,” said Doug Zeghibe, the CEO and director of the Skating Club of Boston. “Skating is a tight-knit community where parents and kids come together six or seven days a week to train and work together. Everyone is like family.
“We are devastated and completely at a loss for words.”
For the full story, click here:
First confirmed victims of Washington DC plane crash include US figure skating champions
Read more
Share
2h ago12.14 EST
Interim summary
Here’s a look at where things currently stand:- No survivors are expected following the crash and 27 bodies have been recovered from the plane and one from the helicopter by first responders working in what the Washington DC fire and emergency medical services chief, John A Donnelly, called “extremely frigid conditions”. Donnelly said he is confident they will ultimately be able to recover all of the bodies from the crash.
- Donald Trump questioned the role of the helicopter pilot, air traffic control, as well as faulted Joe Biden as he injected politics into his crash response. In response to a question on why he believes DEI is responsible, Trump said: “Because I have common sense and unfortunately a lot of people don’t. We want brilliant people doing this. This is a major chess game at the highest level.”
- Donald Trump also said that authorities “will be giving [the list of passenger names] very soon”. He added that he will be announcing in a couple of hours the other nationalities who were on board the American Airlines plane.
- In a video address on Thursday, defense secretary Pete Hegseth said that the army helicopter crew involved in the plane-helicopter collision was “fairly experienced”. Describing the flight as an “annual proficiency training flight,” Hegseth said: “They did have night vision goggles.”
- The Skating Club of Boston has confirmed that several of its members were on board the American Airlines flight when it collided with the Army helicopter. In a statement on Instagram, Doug Zeghibe, the CEO of the club said: “Of the skaters, coaches and parents on the plane, we believe six were from The Skating Club of Boston. We are devastated and completely at a loss for words.”
- The Kremlin also confirmed that the figure skaters Evgenia Shishkova and Vadim Naumov were onboard. The pair, who were married, won the world championships in pairs figure skating in 1994 and lived in the US.
- Transportation secretary Sean Duffy said that the plane crash “was preventable”. Speaking to reporters on Thursday morning, Duffy said: “We’re going to wait for all the information to come in from this vantage point but to back up what the president said and what I’ve seen so far, do I think this was preventable? Absolutely.”
- DC fire and EMS chief John A Donnelly says he is confident they will ultimately be able to recover all of the bodies from the crash. He added: “I’m confident that we will do that. It will take us a little bit of time. It may involve some more equipment.”
- American Airlines CEO Robert Eisen said: “At this time we don’t know why the military aircraft came into the path of the PSA aircraft.” He urged friends and family of those affected to call 1-800-679-8215, which is the helpline the airline has set up.
Updated at 12.23 EST
3h ago11.56 EST
Trump turns briefing into rant against diversity policies

David Smith
Trump continued to turn what might have been a sombre briefing into a baseless rant against DEI (diversity, equity and inclusion) despite no evidence of a link with the plane crash.
The president was backed to the hilt by the transportation secretary, Sean Duffy, who said “we can only accept the best and the brightest” in positions affecting passenger safety, and the defence secretary, Pete Hegseth, who echoed: “The era of DEI is gone at the defence department and we need the best and brightest.”

Trump at the briefing. Photograph: REX/Shutterstock
Then came the vice-president, JD Vance, who claimed “we want to hire the best people” who are “actually competent enough to do the job”.
Trump returned to the lectern to claim that “very powerful tests” for competence in air traffic control were “terminated” by Joe Biden.
CNN’s Kaitlin Collins asked: “Aren’t you getting ahead of the investigation?” Trump replied: “No, I don’t think so at all ... I don’t think that’s a smart question. I’m surprised, coming from you.”
Another reporter asked why Trump believes DEI is responsible. He said: “Because I have common sense and unfortunately a lot of people don’t. We want brilliant people doing this. This is a major chess game at the highest level.”
Share
Updated at 13.42 EST
3h ago11.49 EST
Donald Trump said that authorities “will be giving [the list of passenger names] very soon”.
He added that he would announce in a couple of hours the other nationalities who were on board the American Airlines plane.
Share
Updated at 11.53 EST
3h ago11.42 EST
Pete Hegseth, the defense secretary, is now speaking.
“There was some sort of an elevation issue that we have immediately begun investigating at the DOD and army level, Army CID on the ground,” Hegseth said.
Share
Updated at 11.48 EST
3h ago11.41 EST
Sean Duffy, the transportation secretary, is now speaking.
He said: “When Americans take off in airplanes, they should expect to land at their destination. That didn’t happen yesterday. That’s not acceptable, and so we will not accept excuses, but will not accept passing the buck.”
“We are going to take responsibility at the Department of Transportation and the FAA to make sure we have the reforms that have been dictated by President Trump in place to make sure that these mistakes do not happen again,” Duffy added.
Share
Updated at 11.52 EST
3h ago11.39 EST
Trump blames 'confluence of bad decisions' for collision
“You had a confluence of bad decisions that were made,” Donald Trump said.“And you have people that lost their lives,” he added.
“One thing we do know, there was a lot of vision, and people should have been able to see that. You know, at what point do you stop at? What do you say, well, that plane’s getting a little bit close?” Trump continued.
Share
Updated at 11.42 EST
3h ago11.37 EST
“We had a situation where you had a helicopter that had the ability to stop … You can stop a helicopter very quickly. It had the ability to go up or down, it had the ability to turn. And the turn it made was not the correct turn, obviously, and did somewhat the opposite of what it was told,” Donald Trump said.
“They shouldn’t have been at the same height, because if it was at the same height, you could have gone under it or over it, and nobody realized, or they didn’t say, that it’s at the same height … It could have been 1000ft higher, it could have been 200ft lower, but it was exactly at the same height and somebody should have been able to point that out,” he added.
Share
Updated at 11.54 EST
3h ago11.34 EST
Trump says US faces 'hour of anguish' after no survivors in plane crash

David Smith
Wearing a dark blue suit, white shirt and red tie, Donald Trump entered the White House briefing room at 11.21am, accompanied by defence secretary Pete Hegseth and transportation secretary Sean Duffy, both new to their jobs.
“I’d like to request a moment of silence for the victims and their families please,” Trump said.
After the pause, and in softer, graver tones than usual, he resumed: “I speak to you this morning in an hour of anguish for her nation.”
Trump provided a description of the incident, noting: “Sadly, there are no survivors.” He described it as “a tragedy of terrible proportions” that has “really shaken a lot of people”.
The president added: “We are all heartbroken, we are all searching for answers. That icy, icy Potomac ... cold water.”
Trump said “we have very strong opinions and ideas” about how the accident happened then reverted to taking political swipes at Barack Obama and Joe Biden over air traffic controller standards. “The word talented. You have to be naturally talented geniuses.”
In a harsher tone than before, he is now complaining about diversity and inclusion in FAA programmes and describing former transportation secretary Pete Buttigieg as a “disaster” who has a “good line in bullshit”.
Analysis

How did Washington DC plane crash unfold? A visual guide
More than 60 people are believed to have died after an American Airlines regional passenger jet collided with a US army helicopter