Today's News: Midair Collision Near Washington, D.C.
The collision occurred near Reagan National Airport involving an American Airlines regional jet carrying 64 people and a U.S. Army Black Hawk helicopter
The Newsie Project is an experiment using AI tools to survey contemporary reporting. It attempts to summarize, compare, and contrast the reporting of the major US online news sources.
This is an evolving project. Tools, approaches, and output formats will change over time. The Newsie Project does not attempt to provide a definitive capsule of any news story. While the incidence of errors in these summaries is low, and I attempt to spot-check details, AI tools can hallucinate. Please click through and read the articles for details (some may be paywalled).
Photo: Andrew Harnik/Getty Images
Overview
Date: January 29-30, 2025
Topic: Midair Collision Between Commercial Jet and Military Helicopter Near Washington, D.C.
Summary: A tragic midair collision occurred on Wednesday night near Reagan National Airport involving an American Airlines Bombardier CRJ700 regional jet carrying 64 people and a U.S. Army Black Hawk helicopter with three service members. Both aircraft crashed into the Potomac River, and officials report no expected survivors. Recovery operations are underway, with at least 28 bodies retrieved so far. The incident has drawn national attention, with President Donald Trump and high-ranking officials monitoring the response. Investigations into the cause are ongoing, with early speculation about miscommunication between air traffic control and the helicopter crew.
Sources
CNN: No survivors expected after midair collision between passenger jet and Army helicopter
NBC News: What we know after plane collides with helicopter near Reagan Washington National Airport
The New York Times: No Survivors in Plane and Helicopter Crash Near Washington D.C., Officials Say
Key Points
A U.S. Army Black Hawk helicopter and an American Airlines regional jet collided midair near Reagan National Airport on January 29, 2025.
Both aircraft crashed into the Potomac River, with no survivors expected; 28 bodies have been recovered so far.
The passenger jet was en route from Wichita, Kansas, carrying 60 passengers and four crew members, while the helicopter had three service members aboard.
President Trump and other officials, including the Secretary of Transportation, are closely monitoring the response.
Investigations are ongoing, with early indications of possible miscommunication between air traffic control and the helicopter crew.
Unique Highlights
CNN: Reported that several members of the figure skating community, including Russian world champions, were among the victims.
Fox News: Provided air traffic control audio details, revealing the helicopter may have been on the wrong frequency when asked if it had the jet in sight. Also shared President Trump’s social media speculation on the incident.
NBC News: Highlighted the presence of over 300 responders working in "extremely frigid conditions" as part of the recovery operation.
The New York Times: Emphasized that the crash presents one of the first major crises of the Trump administration’s second term, occurring just after key cabinet members were sworn in.
The Washington Post: Reported specific body recovery numbers—27 from the jet and one from the helicopter—and described the difficulties faced by rescue teams due to icy waters and high winds.
Contrasting Details
Fox News reported that flights at Reagan National Airport would resume at 11 a.m. Thursday, while NBC News suggested the closure might last longer.
CNN and The New York Times highlighted the involvement of Russian athletes, whereas Fox News and The Washington Post focused more on aircraft details and air traffic control interactions.
Fox News included Trump’s personal reaction and his criticism of air traffic control, whereas The Washington Post and NBC News centered on the official government response and emergency efforts.
Editor’s Note: Gathering today’s tragic news was hampered somewhat by two factors: the “Live News” blog format used by several outlets, which tends to scatter reporting across multiple smaller segments, and my evolving news capture tools, which are not yet smart enough to handle this format. I copied and pasted the key updates highlighted by the news sources using the Live News format to capture what they suggest is the most important information. As always, please click through to the individual stories for more details. (Some articles may be paywalled.)