The team at Speiser Krause extends its sympathy to those tragically impacted by the recent mid-air collision. The families of the victims are first and foremost in our hearts and minds and we are here to help navigate the difficult days ahead.
On Wednesday, January 29, 2025, American Eagle Flight 5342 (a CRJ700 aircraft) operated by PSA Airlines was seconds away from landing at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport and was established on short final for its landing on Runway 33. At approximately 350 feet above the Potomac River the CRJ700 and a U.S. Army Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter operating on a training flight collided at approximately 8:48 p.m. Tragically, all 60 passengers and 4 flight crew members on the American Eagle Flight were killed, as were 3 U.S. Army personnel in the Black Hawk helicopter.
A depiction of the collision is set forth below:
During its approach to the airport, the American Eagle flight accepted an offer from air traffic control (“ATC”) to land on Runway 33 which is significantly shorter than Runway 1 at Reagan National.
The airport, which lies on the Virginia side of the Potomac River, is extremely busy and the airspace around the airport is heavily congested. Extreme vigilance is always required when operating in any aircraft environment but more so here, given the nature of the airspace and the amount of air traffic utilizing the airport.
The accident investigation is being led by the National Transportation Safety Board (“NTSB”) and the U.S. Army will also be heavily involved. The investigation will likely take more than a year to complete. However, preliminary information indicates that both the American Eagle Flight and the Black Hawk helicopter were in communication with ATC at Reagan National. The helicopter was transiting the area flying on what is known as a low-level helicopter route over the Potomac River. ATC apparently saw that the two aircraft were on a possible collision course and instructed the Black Hawk helicopter to fly behind the American Eagle flight, which the helicopter acknowledged. It is unknown if the helicopter pilot mistook another aircraft for American Eagle Flight 5342 but this is something that will be examined during the accident investigation, and it is anticipated that a visibility study will be conducted to determine what each pilot may have seen. Investigators will also look at whether the Black Hawk helicopter was operating above its permissible altitude at the time of the crash.
While monitoring the government’s accident investigation, the team at Speiser Krause is also analyzing the information being released as well as conferring with experts to determine possible causes of this unspeakable tragedy. The lawyers at Speiser Krause have extensive experience involving mid-air collisions, including above navigable waters, having represented passengers who were killed due to a mid-air collision over the Hudson River in 2009 between a fixed wing aircraft and a helicopter, and recently, those injured as a result of a mid-air collision in 2019 between two sight seeing aircraft over the George Inlet, Alaska.
Our firm is dedicated to representing the victims of aviation tragedies and we do all that we can to ensure that a tragedy like this never happens again. We will look at all circumstances surrounding the flight including the conduct of the pilots and ATC.
Cases involving ATC and potential U.S. Army negligence involve specialized laws including, but not limited to, the Federal Tort Claims Act (“FTCA”), aviation statutes and regulations including the Federal Aviation Act, as well as the policies and procedures governing the conduct of air traffic control. Not only has the team at Speiser Krause been involved with numerous actions involving mid-air collisions but we have litigated dozens of lawsuits against ATC.
We will continue to provide additional updates as more information becomes available.