3 U.S. Soldiers Were on Board the Black Hawk Helicopter That Collided Midair with American Airlines Plane: Report

Mar. 15, 2025

Ronald Reagan Washington Airport crash, January 2025.Photo:Chip Somodevilla/Getty

Chip Somodevilla/Getty

Three American soldiers were on board anArmy aircraft that collided with an American Airlines airplaneover Washington, D.C. Their current condition is unknown.

“No senior officials onboard the Blackhawk helicopter that crashed into American Airlines flight near Reagan National Airport: U.S. Army official,” Jennifer Griffin, chief national security correspondent for Fox News,tweetedWednesday, Jan. 29.

She added, “3 Soldiers were onboard the Blackhawk, according to Army.”

ReutersandABC Newsalso confirmed three soldiers were on the aircraft, citing U.S. officials.

PEOPLE reached out to the United States Army for comment.

Emergency response units conduct search and rescue for Army helicopter crash, January 2025.Andrew Harnik/Getty

Andrew Harnik/Getty

“We can confirm that the aircraft involved in tonight’s incident was an Army UH-60 helicopter out of Fort Belvoir, Virginia. We are working with local officials and will provide additional information once it becomes available,” a US Army official said in a statement toCNN.

American Airlines Flight 5342, reportedly carrying 64 people, departed from Wichita, Kan., and collided with a helicopter near Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport in Washington, D.C. around 9 p.m. local time.

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Citing an Army official,The New York Timesalso reported it was an Army Black Hawk helicopter involved in the midair crash.

This story is developing.

source: people.com