WATCH: New Video & Final NTSB Report On The DC Plane-Helicopter Collision That Killed 67

The tragic mid-air collision over the Potomac River near Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA) on January 29, 2025, remains one of the most devastating aviation incidents in the Washington, D.C. area’s recent history. The unprecedented crash involved a commercial passenger jet, American Airlines Flight 5342, and a U.S. Army Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter, resulting in the loss of 67 lives. As of today, December 18, 2025, new video footage and the final findings from the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) have provided a chilling, minute-by-minute breakdown of the final, fatal moments, highlighting critical failures in air traffic management and communication procedures in a highly congested airspace.

The incident, which saw both aircraft plummet into the Potomac River, immediately drew intense scrutiny from federal investigators and the public. The release of previously unseen video, combined with detailed transcripts from the Cockpit Voice Recorder (CVR) and Air Traffic Control (ATC) communications, has solidified the official narrative and led to significant liability admissions and urgent safety recommendations aimed at preventing a recurrence of this catastrophic event.

Key Figures, Victims, and Aircraft Profiles in the DCA Collision

The mid-air collision involved two distinct aircraft and resulted in the complete loss of all souls aboard both the commercial flight and the military helicopter. The total casualty count was 67 people, including passengers and crew.

• Shania Twains Bold Statement Why The Star Chose Nude Photoshoots At 57 Qf9cg

• Aircraft 1: American Airlines Flight 5342 (AA 5342)
  • Operator: PSA Airlines (operating as American Eagle).
  • Aircraft Type: Bombardier CRJ700 regional jet.
  • Route: Wichita, Kansas (ICT) to Washington, D.C. (DCA).
  • Occupants: 64 people (60 passengers and 4 crew members).
  • Status: On final approach to Runway 33 at DCA.
• Aircraft 2: U.S. Army Black Hawk Helicopter
  • Callsign: PAT25.
  • Aircraft Type: Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk.
  • Operator: United States Army.
  • Occupants: 3 crew members.
  • Status: Operating in the restricted but active airspace near the Potomac River.
• Identified Civilian Victims:
  • Chris Collins: A passenger tragically lost in the crash.
  • Melissa Nicandri: Another passenger whose family mourned her loss.
  • Casey Crafton: A victim whose family was among the first to file a federal lawsuit against American Airlines, PSA, and the U.S. government.

The Chilling Sequence of Events Captured on Video and Audio

The public’s desire to see the "video of plane crash in DC" was fueled by the sheer shock of the event. Multiple sources of footage—including an EarthCam livestream from the Kennedy Center, dashcam video, and NTSB-released clips—captured the final, heart-wrenching seconds of the collision.

The crash occurred at approximately 8:47 PM EST, at an altitude of only about 300 feet above the Potomac River. The American Airlines CRJ700 was on its standard Instrument Landing System (ILS) approach to Runway 33. Simultaneously, the Black Hawk helicopter, callsign PAT25, was operating in the same congested airspace, which is known for its complex mix of commercial and military traffic.

The NTSB investigation, DCA25MA108, revealed that Air Traffic Control (ATC) had issued a traffic advisory to the Black Hawk crew, warning them of the approaching jet. The Black Hawk pilot, in turn, acknowledged the warning and requested "visual separation," indicating they had the jet in sight and would maintain distance independently. This moment of communication failure—or a misjudgment of distance and speed—proved fatal.

• The One Where They Tanked Jokes 15 Shocking New Secrets From The Friends Tv Show Behind The Scenes G9zdh

The video footage shows the two aircraft converging rapidly. The Black Hawk, reportedly operating under visual flight rules (VFR) in an area requiring extreme caution, failed to maintain separation. The jet and helicopter collided, resulting in immediate catastrophic structural failure for both. Both aircraft plunged into the frigid Potomac River, with wreckage scattered across a wide area, triggering a massive, complex recovery operation.

NTSB Findings and Urgent Aviation Safety Recommendations

The NTSB's investigation wrapped up with a series of urgent safety recommendations, concluding that the primary cause was a failure to deconflict traffic in the highly sensitive DCA airspace. The final report pointed to critical procedural gaps and human performance factors on both the military and civilian sides.

The Role of Air Traffic Control (ATC)

While the NTSB acknowledged that the Black Hawk crew ultimately failed to "see and avoid" the airliner, the investigation heavily scrutinized the procedures used by DCA Air Traffic Control. The report highlighted the inherent risk of granting "visual separation" in this specific, complex, and low-altitude corridor, especially during night operations.

• The Chilling True Story 5 Key Facts About Richard Evonitz The Serial Killer Who Kidnapped Kara Robinson Chamberlain Xpjje

• Procedural Failure: ATC was communicating with the Black Hawk on a different frequency (119.1 MHz) than the jet, which may have contributed to a lack of situational awareness.
• Systemic Risk: The NTSB warned that the existing procedures for mixing slow-moving, low-flying helicopter traffic (like PAT25) with fast-moving, fixed-wing commercial jets (like AA 5342) created an "intolerable risk to aviation safety."

Urgent NTSB Recommendations

To prevent future tragedies, the National Transportation Safety Board issued several immediate and urgent recommendations to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the Department of Defense (DoD). These recommendations are now being implemented across similar high-traffic airport environments.

• Prohibit VFR Operations: A key recommendation was to prohibit Visual Flight Rules (VFR) operations for helicopters in the immediate vicinity of DCA’s final approach path during certain high-traffic periods or low-visibility conditions.
• Mandatory Transponder Usage: Enhancing requirements for all military and civilian aircraft operating near DCA to use advanced transponder systems that provide better tracking and collision warning data.
• Improved ATC Training: Mandating specialized training for Air Traffic Controllers at DCA on deconflicting mixed-aircraft traffic during simultaneous approaches and departures.

Legal Fallout and Admission of Liability

In the aftermath of the crash, the legal battles began swiftly. Families of the victims, including the family of Casey Crafton, filed federal lawsuits against multiple parties: American Airlines, PSA Airlines (the regional carrier that operated the flight), and the United States government.

In a significant development, the U.S. government admitted liability in at least one of the lawsuits, a rare move in aviation accident litigation. This admission strongly suggests that the government, through the actions of the U.S. Army Black Hawk crew and/or the FAA's Air Traffic Control, accepts responsibility for the catastrophic failure of separation that led to the collision. This admission is expected to pave the way for settlements for the families who lost loved ones in the disaster.

The DCA mid-air collision of American Airlines Flight 5342 and the Black Hawk helicopter serves as a profound and tragic case study in aviation safety. The chilling video evidence and the NTSB's final report underscore the necessity of continuous vigilance and procedural reform in managing the world’s most complex and congested airspaces.