Chaos unfolded in the skies near Reagan National Airport as a commercial jet and a military helicopter collided mid-air, sending emergency crews rushing to the scene.
A mid-air collision between a PSA Airlines Bombardier CRJ700 regional jet and a Sikorsky H-60 helicopter occurred near Reagan Washington National Airport on the evening of January 29, 2025. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) confirmed that the incident took place at approximately 9 p.m. local time while the jet was approaching Runway 33.
The US Capitol is seen in the distance as a police vehicle blocks the entrance to the Potomac River near Reagan National Airport after an air crash in Washington, DC, on January 29, 2025 | Source: Getty Images
A witness, Abadi Ismail, who was in the Buzzard Point area near James Creek Marina, described what he saw and heard at the time of the collision. “I have an advantage view of the Potomac River, the Anacostia River, Reagan Airport, the military base. I have cinematic view so I could see everything that is happening from the moment the crash happened [sic],” he said.
Eyewitness Abadi Ismail shares what he saw in connection to the crash with the Fox 5 news team, as seen in a video dated January 30, 2025 | Source: YouTube/fox5dc
Ismail recounted that he was watching television when he heard a loud and unusual sound. “It was a bang, bang, very loud bang, bang. Something I’m not familiar with, something you don’t normally hear,” he staded.
Upon looking out his window, Ismail saw smoke rising from the south side of the airport. At first, he struggled to comprehend what had happened. However, within minutes, emergency responders, including the DC Park Police, Coast Guard, DC Police, Arlington Police, and fire trucks, arrived at the scene.
A firetruck heads toward the Potomac River near Reagan National Airport after an air crash in Washington, DC, on January 29, 2025 | Source: Getty Images
“Every resource within DC were heading toward the crash scene. That’s when I took the video. Somewhere around 8:50 p.m. [sic],” he recalled.
As emergency responders worked through the night, more details emerged about the challenges faced at the crash scene. Ismail noted that the Potomac River was frozen due to the 39-degree temperatures, complicating rescue efforts. “That’s another hassle that the U.S. Coast Guard has to maneuver through all this ice in order to get to the crash scene,” he explained.
Eyewitness Abdai Ismail shares what he saw when the crash happened, as seen in a video dated January 30, 2025 | Source: YouTube/fox5dc
He also pointed out that based on what he had observed and heard from contacts at DC Park, the situation had shifted from a search-and-rescue mission to a recovery effort.
“The crash scene is about two miles from where I’m at. Based on what I see, I have friends that work at the DC Park. Based on their analysis on the site, this is not a search and rescue mission at this point. Unfortunately, it’s a recovery mission [sic],” he said.
In a press conference, DC Fire and EMS Chief John Donnelly confirmed that an alert was sounded at 8:48 p.m., initiating a large-scale emergency response. “At 8:58, the first units arrived on the scene and found an aircraft in the water and began rescue operations,” Donnelly stated.
