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Cockpit voice and flight data recorders recovered from passenger jet involved in deadly midair crash. See a recap.

Tents are set up outside of a crash site near Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, in Washington on Thursday, Jan. 30, 2025.HAIYUN JIANG/NYT

All passengers and crew aboard the American Airlines flight that collided with an Army Helicopter near Washington, D.C.’s Ronald Reagan National Airport are presumed dead, officials said Thursday.

The Skating Club of Boston, based in Norwood, said two local skaters, their mothers, and two coaches are among the victims. The six were traveling back from a US figure skating development camp.

According to a report by the Federal Aviation Administration that was obtained by The Associated Press, one air traffic controller was working two positions at the time of the crash. A source who spoke with The Associated Press said that staffing at the air traffic control tower on Wednesday night was at a normal level.

National Transportation Safety Board spokesperson Peter Knudson also said Thursday that the cockpit voice recorded and flight data recorder from the plane involved in the crash were recovered by investigators. He added that the recorders “are at the NTSB labs for evaluation.”

Here’s how Thursday unfolded.

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Cockpit voice and flight data recorders have been recovered from the plane — 9:00 p.m.

By The Associated Press

“NTSB investigators recovered the cockpit voice recorder and flight data recorder from the Bombardier CRJ700 airplane involved in yesterday’s midair collision at DCA,” National Transportation Safety Board spokesperson Peter Knudson said. “The recorders are at the NTSB labs for evaluation.”


2 Chinese nationals were among the victims — 8:51 p.m.

By The Associated Press

The Chinese embassy in the US said two Chinese nationals were among the victims of the crash and would provide consular protection and assistance. It also has asked the US side to verify the information, officially inform the Chinese side and provide assistance to the families of the victims.

“The Chinese Embassy extends deepest condolences to all the victims and sympathies to the bereaved families,” an embassy statement said. It did not offer further details on the victims.


Aviation experts have long worried DC’s congested airspace could lead to catastrophe — 8:23 p.m.

By The Associated Press

The airspace around Washington, D.C., is congested and complex — a combination aviation experts have long worried could lead to catastrophe.

Those fears materialized Wednesday night when an American Airlines plane collided with a military helicopter, taking the lives of 67 people, including three soldiers and more than a dozen figure skaters.

Even in peak flying conditions, experts said, the airspace around Reagan Washington National Airport can challenge the most experienced pilots, who must navigate hundreds of other commercial planes, military aircraft and restricted areas around sensitive sites.

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“This was a disaster waiting to happen,” said Ross Aimer, a retired United Airlines captain and chief executive officer of Aero Consulting Experts. “Those of us who have been around a long time have been yelling into a vacuum that something like this would happen because our systems are stretched to extremes.”


A different regional jet had to maneuver around a military helicopter at Reagan Airport just over 24 hours prior to collision — 8:05 p.m.

By The Associated Press

Just over 24 hours before Wednesday’s fatal midair collision, a different regional jet executed a go-around maneuver when descending to land at Reagan Airport due to a military helicopter in the same area.

Flight tracking sites and air traffic control logs show the Embraer E-175 was cleared to land at the airport’s Runway 19 and advised about a helicopter in its vicinity. It executed a go-around after its automated collision avoidance system ordered what is known as a ‘resolution advisory’ to avoid nearby traffic, which put the aircraft out of proper alignment for landing. It landed safely minutes later.

The military helicopter, callsign PAT1, was advised of the descending airplane. Flight tracking sites show the plane flew roughly 1,000 feet (300 meters) above the helicopter, a normally acceptable separation.

Airline pilots are trained to respond immediately to resolution advisories, which are designed to avoid a potential mishap, but occasionally sound alarms for traffic that does not pose an immediate threat to safety.


Skating Club of Boston has a glorious — and tragic — history — 7:25 p.m.

By Kat Cornetta, Globe Correspondent

There are few figure skating clubs in the world with the facilities and influence of the Skating Club of Boston, but also few that have experienced such repeated tragedy.

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The Norwood-based club, home of two skaters and two coaches killed in the collision Wednesday night between a passenger jet and a military helicopter near Reagan National Airport, has been the standard bearer for the sport in the United States for 114 years. A host of the 2016 world championships and eight US figure skating championships, the club has taken on a special importance in the past decade, proving to be among the last of its kind to survive the drastic decline in popularity of the sport in the United States.

It was also involved in its greatest tragedy when the entire US skating team, including 10 members from the Boston club, died in a plane crash in Belgium in 1961 on their way to the world championships.

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Former figure skating champion Maribel Vinson Owen (center) glided along the rink with her daughters Laurence, 16, and Maribel, 20 — both national skating champions — in 1961 at the Boston Skating Club on Soldiers Field Road. All three, plus seven others from the club, were killed in a plane crash on their way to that year's world championships.AP Photo/Frank C. Curtin

Watch: Nancy Kerrigan addresses community at The Skating Club of Boston — 6:51 p.m.


‘Our entire school community is deeply saddened,’ says head of virtual school attended by Boston area skaters — 5:45 p.m.

By Tonya Alanex, Globe Staff

The superintendent of the virtual school attended by two Boston area figure skaters, who died in a midair collision between two aircrafts near Reagan National Airport, issued a statement Thursday mourning the loss of two of its students.

Spencer Lane and Jinna Han, who trained with the Skating Club of Boston, attended TEC Connections Academy Commonwealth Virtual School in East Walpole.

“This is a truly tragic event, and our sympathies go out to the families involved and the lives lost on American Airlines Flight 5342,” Superintendent Patrick Lattuca said in the statement.

“Our entire school community is deeply saddened by the loss of two of our students and our hearts go out to their families, friends, and all those impacted by this devastating loss,” Lattuca said. “As we grieve together, TECCA remains committed to supporting our students and community during this difficult time.”

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Lattuca said counseling teams are available at the school to provide guidance, resources, and emotional support to students.

“We encourage students who have been directly affected by this tragedy to reach out to their school counselor,” Lattuca said. “During this period of mourning, we ask our TECCA community to come together with kindness, empathy, and compassion. We extend our deepest condolences to the families of the students and all those who knew and loved them.”

Lane, who was born in South Korea, was accompanied by his adoptive mother Christine Lane, and Han was accompanied by her mother.


Pilots union says its accident investigation team is working with the NTSB — 5:43 p.m.

By The Associated Press

Jason Ambrosi, president of the Air Line Pilots Association said the union’s accident investigation team was on the scene working with the National Transportation Safety Board, and its Critical Incident Response Program was working to support union members and the families involved in the collision.

“We mourn the loss of our friends, colleagues, and members of our ALPA and Association of Flight Attendants union family,” he said.

Ambrosi reiterated in a statement what the NTSB has said — the investigation must have the time to do its work.

“A lot of details and speculation will come out in response to this tragedy, but we must remember to let the investigation run its course,” he said.


Air traffic control staffing was normal, AP source says — 5:36 p.m.

By The Associated Press

One air traffic controller was responsible for coordinating helicopter traffic and arriving and departing planes when the collision happened, according to a report by the Federal Aviation Administration obtained by The Associated Press.

The configuration was “not normal,” the report said, but a person familiar with the matter said the staffing at the air traffic control tower on Wednesday night was at a normal level. The positions are regularly combined when controllers need to step away from the console for breaks, are in the process of a shift change, or air traffic is slow, the person said, speaking on the condition of anonymity to discuss internal procedures.

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Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus criticizes Trump’s comments blaming DEI — 5:18 p.m.

By The Associated Press

The leadership of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus has also criticized President Trump for his attempts to blame DEI policies for the collision, calling it “despicable.”

“President Trump has made baseless claims that seek to blame people of color for this horrific tragedy. It is despicable,” read the statement from the congressional caucus. “We don’t need racist lies, we need answers, and a leader who will put aside partisan politics to unite our country. President Trump has failed to meet this moment. The American people deserve better.”


Copter-airliner collision unlikely at Logan — 5:07 p.m.

By Aaron Pressman, Globe Staff

The tragic collision of an American Airlines passenger jet with a military helicopter over the Potomac River on Wednesday night was due at least in part to the uniquely crowded skies above Washington, D.C., making such a deadly midair tragedy exceedingly unlikely around Logan International Airport, aviation safety experts said.

A Bombardier CRJ700 regional jet from Wichita, Kansas, being flown by American Airlines subsidiary PSA Airlines was approaching Reagan National Airport over the river when it collided with a Sikorsky Black Hawk Army helicopter flying out of Fort Belvoir in Virginia shortly before 9 p.m.

The airspace around the capital includes three major airports, multiple military bases and critical centers of the federal government. The Federal Aviation Administration imposes special security rules for all flights around the area.

“Washington is a very unusual and complicated space, because of the proximity of Washington National [Airport] to the to both the Pentagon and the White House,” professor John Hansman, director of the MIT International Center for Air Transportation, said. “It’s a uniquely restricted airspace.”

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FAA has long struggled with air traffic controller shortages — 5:06 p.m.

By the Associated Press

The Federal Aviation Administration has long struggled with a shortage of air traffic controllers and identified fatigue as a factor that might lead to mistakes.

After a number of highly publicized close calls between planes that were following orders from control towers, the FAA said last summer that it would increase the minimum time controllers get between shifts starting this year.

An agreement between the agency and the National Air Traffic Controllers Association called for 10 hours off between shifts, 12 hours off before and after a midnight shift, and a limit on consecutive overtime assignments.

Although then-FAA Administrator Mike Whitaker said in September that the agency had met its 2024 goal of hiring 1,800 controllers, airline executives said they expected the problem to persist.

The cause of Wednesday night’s crash is under investigation. A preliminary FAA report obtained by The Associated Press said one air traffic controller was working two positions at the time.


Experts stress that midair collisions are incredibly rare — 4:37 p.m.

By the Associated Press

“Your drive to the airport is riskier than your flight from the airport,” said Michael McCormick, an assistant professor and program coordinator for air traffic management at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in Daytona Beach, Florida. “Aviation remains, in spite of what happened yesterday night, the safest mode of transportation in the United States.”

Hassan Shahidi, president and CEO of Flight Safety Foundation, also stressed how rare this kind of deadly accident is.

“This should have never happened. It is absolutely preventable,” Shahidi said, adding that he and others will continue to follow the NTSB’s investigation into the exact cause of the collision to help ensure that it never happens again.

Part of that might come down to modernization and additional resources, he said.

“We have highly trained air traffic controllers all over the country. We have highly trained pilots all over the country. They’re doing their jobs well,” he said. “But we also need to understand what else is needed — in terms of technology, in terms of modernization of the air traffic control system, in terms of additional personnel and training support.”


Black lawmakers blast Trump’s comments blaming DEI for the collision — 4:27 p.m.

By the Associated Press

A group of Black lawmakers issued a statement mourning the lives of those killed in the D.C. plane collision and blasting Trump’s comments that diversity, equity and inclusion efforts were at fault.

“It is our hope that the outpour of condolences and support from people across our nation will bring solace during this season of bereavement,” said Rep. Yvette Clark, chair of the Congressional Black Caucus. “However, the opportunity to fully focus our sympathies on those who are in mourning and who may not have even retrieved their dearly departed was marred by a truly disgusting and disgraceful display of racist political prognostication.”

The group added that diversity efforts “are American values” that “work to benefit all Americans who have been traditionally kept out of opportunities.


‘No words for that type of loss,’ says mother of skater with the Skating Club of Boston — 4:23 p.m.

By Niki Griswold, Globe Staff

Tashema Lindsey-Wright, 48, moved her family to Boston two years ago from Atlanta, specifically so her two daughters could join the Skating Club of Boston.

Her younger daughter, 17-year-old London, noticed once she started competing that the club was “exceptional” and had “the best coaches,” who had trained several Olympic figure skaters, Lindsey-Wright said.

”It is known somewhat around the figure skating community that if you want your child to succeed, you need to be in Boston. … You need to be where the top coaches are,” she said.

That’s where London met Jinna Han, and the two developed a close friendship as they prepared for an annual program called Ice Chips.

”The club is a very close knit club. We are all family, because we spend so much of our time there, and everybody knows everybody,” said Lindsey-Wright. “It’s about inspiration and encouragement, and what do I need to do, to do differently and to be able to get to that level.”

Lindsey-Wright described Jinna’s mother, Jin Han, who was also killed in Wednesday’s crash, as “very warm, very loving, very kind.”

She said the news of the crash has been “devastating,” especially for London, who told her Jinna was messaging in a group chat they both were in while she was on the flight Wednesday.

”London woke up and was like, ‘Oh my god, Jinna was on the plane,’ and then we realized that quite a few of our members were on the plane, and it just spread within the chat at like, three, four or five a.m. this morning,” she said. “We were devastated. London has been crying all day.”

”There’s just no words for that type of loss,” she added.

Six from Skating Club of Boston killed in mid-air collision
Two skaters, their mothers, and two coaches were among the victims. Senior assistant sports editor Katie McInerney has what we know.

The Army has seen an increase in major aviation accidents in recent years — 4:20 p.m.

By the Associated Press

The Army saw 15 flight and two ground Class A incidents in fiscal year 2024, according to safety data obtained by The Associated Press through the Freedom of Information Act and a January 2025 Army aviation safety report.

Class A incidents are any aviation accident that results in the destruction of the aircraft, deaths of service members or more than $2.5 million in damage to the airframe.

In a briefing with Pentagon reporters Thursday, Army aviation Chief of Staff Jonathan Koziol said the spike in incidents last year had prompted the Army to do a safety stand-down, in which units pause flight operations to evaluate safety procedures “to not allow these types of incidents to happen,” Koziol said.


Trump signs an aviation order rolling back federal diversity initiatives — 4:04 p.m.

By the Associated Press

He says the presidential memorandum on aviation safety will undo “damage” done to related federal agencies by the Biden administration.

The president singled out policies meant to promote diversity and inclusion by the Biden White House and of the administrations of other Democrats, saying, “What they’ve done is disgraceful.”

Signing the memorandum in the Oval Office, Trump repeated — without evidence — his past assertions that federal diversity programs contributed to a helicopter and a regional jet colliding near Washington, D.C.

He said the memorandum can help ensure that “we have very strong people running” key aviation agencies.


Figure skater with close ties to crash victims remembers friends, coaches — 3:55 p.m.

By Shannon Larson, Globe Staff

Patrick Blackwell was competing at the US Figure Skating Championships in Wichita, Kansas, with fellow members of The Skating Club of Boston days before he learned that six people with ties to the club died in a devastating crash near Washington, D.C.

The 16-year-old figure skater said he “didn’t believe” the news when he first learned about their deaths on Thursday. His friend and teammate, Spencer Lane, a quickly rising star at the club, had posted on his Instagram story a photo of the wing of the plane shortly before the fateful flight took off, he said.

”I learned about it mainly through that,” said Blackwell, who lives in East Greenwich, R.I., and has been skating at the club since fifth grade.

He was at the skating rink Thursday afternoon. It was unusually quiet for a time of day when it would normally be packed with young talent.

Skaters including Blackwell dropped in throughout the day. Some had flowers in hand and others came to lean on their friends as they reeled from the loss. They embraced each other for minutes at a time and wiped away tears from their red eyes.

Blackwell was Lane’s friend, and said he wants the gifted skater to be remembered as a “grateful and caring person.”

Blackwell said Lane was “enthusiastic and powerful, and he had such a bright future. And I want him to be remembered as the kind person he was.”

Before Blackwell left Kansas, he talked with Lane. He was happy, Blackwell recalled. The two skaters met when Blackwell was skating in Warwick, R.I.

”We were best friends, and it does break my heart not to be able to see him here at the rink again,” he said.

Lane was “going to go big,” Blackwell said. He had only started skating a few years ago, but the “determination he had for off-ice jumps and skating, it was incredible to me.”

”That someone can go in two-and-a-half years from doing single jumps, and not having the most superior technique … to training quadruple jumps on the ice, it just showed his potential,” he said.

Lane had already medaled, a testament to his hard work, Blackwell said. Every time he landed a new jump, he would rush to his friends to share his excitement.”We were all so happy,” he said.

Blackwell also said that he couldn’t imagine how Maxim, the son of the coaches Evgenia Shishkova and Vadim Naumov who were killed on the flight, feels right now. He called Maxim, who wasn’t on the flight, an “amazing kid” who “works so hard.”

The loss of the two coaches is tremendous, Blackwell said.”It’s gonna really bring down the community a little here for the time being,” he said.He hoped that Maxim, who he called “Max” would be okay.

”I hope he realizes that his family would want him to skate and continue working and training hard,” he said.

Every day Blackwell would walk down the hallway toward the locker room with Lane and say good morning to Jinna Han, who was also killed in the plane crash.

”It’s not going to be the same,” he said, adding that it was supposed to be an ordinary flight.

”It’s heartbreaking to know that something like this can affect the community so much,” he said. “But I am glad that all of the community is coming together to acknowledge the passing of everyone and the skaters and their families.”

If he had been one level lower, Blackwell could have been at the National Development Camp with Han and Lane and would have traveled on the same flight back home.

Blackwell has not thought about when he will return to the ice.

”The only thoughts that went through my mind were to respect the families and my friends and everyone for the lives that have been lost,” he said. He stopped at the rink, he said, “just out of respect.”

Sympathy flowers sit on a table alongside photos of people lost on American Airlines flight 5342 at the Skating Club of Boston in memory of the six Boston area skaters and their family members and coaches, in Norwood, Massachusetts on January 30, 2025. JOSEPH PREZIOSO/AFP via Getty Images

President of air traffic controllers union says they ‘cannot comment on the specifics’ of the crash — 3:46 p.m.

By the Associated Press

Nick Daniels, president of the National Air Traffic Controllers Association, wrote in a statement that “it would be premature to speculate on the root cause of this accident.”

“We will wait for the National Transportation Safety Board to complete its work and use that information to help guide decisions and changes to enhance and improve aviation safety,” he continued.

Daniels also offered condolences for those affected by “the tragic loss of life.”


Wichita, Kansas, touts itself as the ‘Air Capitol of the World’ — 3:40 p.m.

By the Associated Press

The city has major manufactures, like Spirit AeroSystems, along with a network of more than 350 suppliers in the region and 450 statewide, according to an economic development agency in the city called the Greater Wichita Partnership.


Passengers, crew could not have survived icy Potomac, expert says — 3:36 p.m.

By Marianne Mizera, Globe Staff

Doctors say that the 67 passengers and crew aboard the American Airlines plane and Army helicopter would probably not have survived the brutally cold waters of the Potomac last night even if they had survived the impact. The bodies of at least 28 of the victims have been pulled from the river, which was a chilly 35 degrees at the time of the crash, around 9 p.m.

”Immersion in water cools the body at least 24 times faster than in air and heat transfer is so much faster, so you become hypothermic much, much faster,” says Dr. Paul Biddinger, chief of the Division of Emergency Preparedness for Mass General Brigham in Boston. “And the colder the water, the faster the hypothermia sets in.”

He said a number of physiological changes set in fairly quickly in near-freezing water:

• Immediately – The body loses the ability to breathe spontaneously. “At first, there’s an involuntary gasp, where people lose their breath for a period of time,” experience muscle spasms of the diaphragm, “and you lose your dexterity extremely quickly,” Biddinger says.

• Up to 1 to 2 minutes – You regain the ability to breathe normally but you lose hand function and your muscles stop working. “The dexterity where you can’t unbuckle your seatbelt or can’t undo your jacket or or any of those things. ….Any fine movement or even any larger movement with your arms and legs goes away within minutes.”

• Within 15 minutes – Heart rate and brain functioning starts to slow, breathing starts to labor, and you lose consciousness. “You get more drowsy, more sleepy, lose consciousness, your heart rate slows, which affects your ability to exert yourself,” Biddinger says. “And if you don’t have a flotation device, you drown. Even if you have flotation, you may not have that much more time, due to the slowing of the heart rate, breathing, and brain function.”

Officials will determine the victims’ exact cause of death as the crash investigation unfolds.


Staffing was ‘not normal’ in air traffic control tower at time of midair collision, FAA report obtained by AP says — 3:35 p.m.

By the Associated Press

That’s according to a report by the Federal Aviation Administration that was obtained by The Associated Press.

The report says one air traffic controller was working two positions at the time of the crash.

“The position configuration was not normal for the time of day and volume of traffic,” the report says.


Senator Jerry Moran of Kansas pledges investigation into deadly plane crash — 3:26 p.m.

By the Associated Press

Moran said he’s appreciated the “thoroughness” of the National Transportation Safety Board in the past and is looking to the agency for answers about what caused the deadliest American aviation disaster in more than two decades.

“The facts matter,” Moran said. “NTSB will be the original provider of facts.”

He pledged further investigation by Senate panels on transportation and aviation once more is known about the crash as a flight from Wichita, Kansas, was landing at Washington Reagan National Airport.

“We need to make certain, as I said earlier, that every American is safe to fly (and) they know they’re safe to fly,” Moran said.

Members of the Federal Bureau of Investigation Evidence Response Team move debris near the crash site along the Potomac River after a passenger jet collided with a helicopter while landing at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport in Arlington, Virginia, on Jan. 30. Alex Wroblewski/Bloomberg

Senator Roger Marshall praised Trump for ‘radical transparency’ in speculating on diversity initiatives — 3:23 p.m.

By the Associated Press

“That’s what you’d expect from President Trump,” Marshall, who represents Kansas, said. “On the other hand, we just had a phone call with the National Transportation Safety Board and FAA, and all they would say is we’ll get back to you. And I’m telling Kansans, this is unacceptable.”

Officials haven’t yet established the causes of the Washington, D.C., collision, and Trump himself has acknowledged it’s too soon to draw conclusions.

Asked whether he agrees with Trump’s speculation that diversity contributed to the crash, Marshall said he has “no idea.”

“Certainly, I want air traffic controllers, just like my pilots, to be there because of their merit, not because of anything else,” Marshall said. “And so I certainly agree with President Trump.”


Boston Mayor Michelle Wu calls the tragedy “Unthinkable.” Says Boston will mourn the loss of local victims — 3:21 p.m.

By Niki Griswold, Globe Staff

Boston Mayor Michelle Wu said, “We are just devastated” by the American Airlines midair collision that killed 67 people, including six people with ties to The Skating Club of Boston.

”My heart goes out to all those who have been impacted, and particularly our families here locally,” Wu said. “It’s just unthinkable what’s happened, and I know we will be following along closely as well as there’s a full investigation into it, but just on behalf of the entire city, we are thinking of these families and really mourning the loss alongside their loved ones of such incredible talent and members of our community.”


Inman said there’s no indication any shoots or ramps were deployed from the plane — 3:18 p.m.

By the Associated Press

“It was a very quick, rapid impact,” he said.

National Transportation Safety Board member Todd Inman speaks during a press conference at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, Thursday, Jan. 30, 2025, in Arlington, Va., as NTSB Board Chair Jennifer Homend an other board members, look on. Stephanie Scarbrough/Associated Press

Federal accident investigators haven’t yet recovered the flight data recorders for the crafts — 3:15 p.m.

By the Associated Press

That isn’t unusual for crashes underwater, National Transportation Safety Board Chairwoman Jennifer Homendy said.

“We know they’re there. They are underwater,” she said. “We have many times recovered flight data recorders in water.”


NTSB Chairwoman Homendy says investigators needed more time to come to any conclusions — 3:11 p.m.

By the Associated Press

“We do have a lot of information but we need some time to verify it,” she said.

National Transportation Safety Board Chair Jennifer Homendy speaks during a press conference at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, Thursday, Jan. 30, 2025, in Arlington, Va., as NTSB member Todd Inman looks on. Stephanie Scarbrough/Associated Press

Inman says the board will brief the families of crash victims later Thursday — 3:10 p.m.

By the Associated Press

Some are still arriving in Washington, he said.

Now, we will not be determining the probable cause of the accident while we are here on scene. Nor will we speculate about what may have caused this accident,” Inman said.


NTSB says crash report will come in 30 days — 3:02 p.m.

By Aaron Pressman, Globe Staff

The National Transportation Safety Board began an investigation of the collision on Thursday.

The agency, which is tasked with probing all air safety accidents, aims to produce a preliminary report about Wednesday’s crash in 30 days, board member Todd Inman said at a press conference in Washington.

”We don’t have a great deal of information right now,” he said. “We will continue to gather that.”

Flight data recorders from the Bombardier CRJ700 regional jet and Sikorsky Black Hawk helicopter that collided have not been recovered from the Potomac River yet, board chair Jennifer Homendy said.

Asked about President Trump’s assertion, offered without evidence, that the accident was due to diversity, equity and inclusion efforts, Homendy said the investigation would look at all possible causes.

”As part of any investigation, we look at the human, the machine, and the environment,” she said. “We will look at all the humans involved in the accident...that is standard in any accident.”


NTSB Chairwoman Jennifer Homendy: ‘We are all here because this is an all-hands-on-deck event’ — 2:58 p.m.

By the Associated Press

“We’re here to assure the American people that we are going to leave no stone unturned in this investigation,” she said at a news conference Thursday afternoon at Reagan National Airport.

She also said there were nearly 50 people on scene from the NTSB.


NTSB holding press conference following deadly plane collision — 2:52 p.m.

By Jenna Reyes, Globe Staff

National Transportation Safety Board officials are holding a press conference as all 64 people aboard an American Airlines jet that collided with an Army helicopter were feared dead.

Watch the press conference here:


Senator Ted Cruz says it’s ‘a mistake’ to speculate on what went wrong before the facts are clear — 2:45 p.m.

By Associated Press

Cruz, a Texas Republican, said he was briefed by the NTSB chairman and senior FAA leaders and said there are still questions about why the helicopter was traveling at a certain altitude and if if the helicopter pilot was looking at the wrong plane.

“We have a very serious investigation that proceeds and that is driven by the facts and evidence,” he said. “I think it is a mistake to speculate until we see what the evidence demonstrates.”


Kansas Senator Roger Marshall says he and other officials will meet with families of the victims — 2:39 p.m.

By Associated Press

When asked by reporters what he thought about President Trump blaming the collision on diversity measures, Marshall deflected, saying his focus was on the families of the victims, who he planned to meet with Thursday night.

He said officials briefed him and other lawmakers that the military helicopter did not have a transponder that was working to communicate with air traffic control or the commercial jet.

“Why would we be letting military helicopters or police helicopters in this very busy airspace without that transponder working properly?” Marshall said.


TD Garden and Boston Bruins offer condolences on X — 2:37 p.m.

By Jenna Reyes, Globe Staff

“We join the world in mourning the loss of all those aboard, including our Skating Club of Boston community, who have lost coaches, athletes, friends, and family members,” the TD Garden said in a post on X. “Our thoughts are with all those affected by this tragedy.”


Spencer Lane was ‘a fiercely determined and fearless skater,’ his former skating club says — 2:32 p.m.

By Christopher Gavin, Globe Staff

BARRINGTON, R.I. — Spencer Lane was a “fiercely determined and fearless skater” and a friend to many, his former figure skating club said.Lane began figure skating three years ago after watching the Olympics. He learned to skate at Warwick Figure Skaters, his father, Douglas, said in an interview.

”Our skaters are our family and we all feel this terrible loss deeply,” the club wrote in a Facebook post on Thursday afternoon.

”Spencer began his skating journey at WFS,” the post continued. “He was always a bright light at our rink. He was kind and a friend to so many of his fellow skaters. He was a fiercely determined and fearless skater, always challenging himself. He was in love with the sport from the beginning and it showed. He was always excited to be on the ice and was a joy to watch.”

The club said their hearts were with Doug and Lane’s brother Milo, as well as the rest of his family, friends, and the other passengers onboard the flight.

”The sport of figure skating has lost so much today,” the club wrote.


Thousands on social media watched crash victim Spencer Lane work towards his skating dreams — 2:31 p.m.

By Niki Griswold, Globe Staff

An audience of more than 21,000 watched 16-year-old Spencer Lane chase his figure skating dreams on TikTok before his journey was tragically cut short Wednesday night.

Lane, whose father said had only been skating for three years in a Globe interview, was enormously talented. Lane’s social media presence documented the teenager’s figure skating accomplishments and ambitions, interspersed with moments of levity with friends.

His most recent TikTok, in which he landed a triple toe loop jump, was posted the same day of the crash that took his life. On Instagram, in a post also from Wednesday, Lane celebrated attending US Figure Skating’s National Development Camp, which he said in the post was his “goal almost ever since I became aware that it was a thing.”

In November, Lane had qualified for the camp after placing first in the Eastern Sectionals competition.


Kansas Senator Roger Marshall says he and other officials will meet with families of the victims — 2:30 p.m.

By Associated Press

When asked by reporters what he thought about President Trump blaming the collision on diversity measures, Marshall deflected, saying his focus was on the families of the victims, who he planned to meet with Thursday night.

He said officials briefed him and other lawmakers that the military helicopter did not have a transponder that was working to communicate with air traffic control or the commercial jet.

“Why would we be letting military helicopters or police helicopters in this very busy airspace without that transponder working properly?” Marshall said.


Crowded airspace around the airport was well known before the crash, aviation attorney says — 2:02 p.m.

By Associated Press

Robert Clifford is an aviation attorney involved in numerous airline disaster cases, including the Lion Air and Ethiopian Airlines crashes. He said the Department of Transportation, the Defense Department and the FAA should call for an immediate, temporary halt to all military helicopters in the airspace used by commercial airlines going into Reagan.

“I can’t get over how stunningly clear it is that this was a preventable crash and this should never, ever have occurred,” Clifford said.

“There have been discussions for some time about the congestion associated with that and the potential for disaster. And we saw it come home last night,” Clifford said.


Senator Tammy Duckworth says it’s time for investigators to do their job but not speculate — 2:02 p.m.

By Associated Press

The Democratic senator, who’s flown Army helicopters, criticized President Trump, who she said was “clueless” for already assigning blame.

“It is pretty sad that the commander-in-chief, at a time when family members of those military aircrew members just lost their loves one ... to immediately start blaming and questioning the competence of the crew members in that aircraft.”

Duckworth, also ranking member of a Senate subcommittee on aviation safety, said she had calls with the FAA and NTSB.


The helicopter’s instructor pilot, who was serving as pilot-in-command, had about 1,000 flight hours — 1:55 p.m.

By Associated Press

That’s according to Jonathan Koziol, chief of staff for Army aviation. The instructor pilot was evaluating the second pilot — who was also qualified as a pilot in command — for that night training flight and the pilot who was being evaluated had about 500 flight hours, Koziol said.


Nancy Kerrigan, Tenley Albright encourage skaters to grieve through their sport — 1:52 p.m.

By Emma Healey, Globe Staff

Nancy Kerrigan and Tenley Albright were visibly emotional as they encouraged members of the skating community to lean on their sport as a way to grieve the lives lost in the D.C. plane crash.

”I think what we’ll find is that the skaters will come to the ice and skate as part of the healing because when you skate, it’s an expression,” said Albright, a Newton native and 1956 Olympic gold medalist, in a discussion with reporters. “And I think that it will help them to be together on the ice.”

Kerrigan, a Stoneham native and two-time Olympic medalist, agreed. She returned to The Skating Club of Boston Thursday for support and encouraged others to do the same.

”We all grieve differently, and I just urge them all to be patient with each other because someone might want to get out there and just practice like it was last week, and someone else might feel like that’s not appropriate,” Kerrigan said. “We all grieve differently and at different times and in different ways.”

Though she didn’t personally know all the crash victims, Kerrigan said she feels connected to them through skating’s tight-knit community.

”We’ve been through the same thing, that training, that rigorous schedule of falling over and over and somehow picking yourself back up, which is the main lesson I learned in skating,” she said. “You get back up. Keep on trying. Even when it’s hard, you get back up. Even when you’re crying, hurt, or in pain, get back up and move forward. It’s not easy, but that’s what we all have to do now together.”

Read the full story.

Former Olympic skater Nancy Kerrigan, right, walks with fellow Olympic skater Tenley Albright, at The Skating Club of Boston, where six members of the club's community, including athletes, coaches and family, were killed in an airplane collision with a helicopter on Wednesday in Washington, Thursday, Jan. 30, 2025, in Norwood, Mass. Charles Krupa/Associated Press

Olympic skater Nancy Kerrigan: ‘We’ve been through tragedy before’ — 1:50 p.m.

By Hayley Kaufman, Globe Staff

An emotional Nancy Kerrigan spoke to reporters Thursday, wishing the families of the D.C. plane crash victims “courage” amid their tragic loss.

Kerrigan, a Stoneham native and two-time Olympic medalist, stood before cameras at the Skating Club of Boston in Norwood and wiped tears from her eyes.

”I feel for the athletes, the skaters and their families, but for anyone who was on that plane,” she said, explaining she felt compelled to come to the skating club on Thursday because, “I needed support.”

”It was the only place I thought I should be right now,” she said.

Kerrigan, a legend in local skating circles, won two Olympic skating medals, a bronze in 1992 and a silver in 1994.

”We have been through tragedy before,” she said. “It will take time to get through this.”

In 1961, the entire US figure skating team was killed in a plane crash in Belgium. Ten of those lost were members of the Skating Club of Boston.

Nancy Kerrigan during a press conference at Tenley E. Albright Performance Center, in Boston, on Thursday, Jan. 30, 2025. SOPHIE PARK/NYT

Crew flying the Army Blackhawk helicopter was ‘very experienced’ — 1:39 p.m.

By the Associated Press

And they were not new to the unit or the congested flying that occurs daily around Washington, D.C., said Jonathan Koziol, chief of staff for Army aviation.

“Both pilots had flown this specific route before, at night. This wasn’t something new to either one of them,” Koziol said. “Even the crew chief in the back has been in the unit for a very long time, very familiar with the area, very familiar with the routing structure.”

The maximum altitude where the Blackhawk was at the time of the crash — along a published corridor called Route 4 — was 200 feet above ground, Koziol said. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said at the White House on Thursday that elevation seemed to be a factor in the crash.

Koziol said investigators need to analyze the flight data before making any conclusions as to altitude.


Plane crashes in sports have devastated pro teams and college programs — 1:36 p.m.

By the Associated Press

The crash of an American Airlines jet that collided with an Army helicopter was the latest to strike the sports world in the US and globally.

Among the passengers were several members of the Skating Club of Boston who were returning from the US figure skating championships in Wichita, Kansas. They included teenage figure skaters Jinna Han and Spencer Lane, their mothers and two highly regarded Russian-born figure skating coaches, Evgenia Shishkova and Vadim Naumov. All 64 people on board were feared dead.

Air travel accidents in sports are rare, but they have had devastating impacts on national programs, amateur teams and professional clubs.


The bodies of all three soldiers who were on the helicopter have been recovered, officials say — 1:31 p.m.

By the Associated Press

Officials said the remains will be at Air Force Mortuary Affairs Operations at Dover Air Force Base in Delaware. That office coordinates the dignified transfer of fallen service members.

The officials spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss details not yet announced. No identities of the crew have been released.


Who is Sean Duffy, the new transportation secretary responding to the D.C. plane crash? — 1:31 p.m.

By the Associated Press

Sean Duffy, the new transportation secretary, is facing his first major crisis just hours after his swearing-in.

Duffy, who was confirmed by the Senate on Tuesday, quickly emerged as a public face of the federal government’s response to the deadly plane crash at Reagan National Airport, the closest airport to Washington, D.C. An Army helicopter collided with an American Airlines jet carrying 60 passengers and four crew members Wednesday night while the plane was landing, sending it careening into the frigid Potomac River. All onboard are feared dead in what’s shaping up to be the deadliest US air crash in decades.

“Our new Secretary of Transportation, Sean Duffy — his second day on the job when that happened. That’s a rough one,” Trump said as they appeared together during a White House briefing Thursday.

READ MORE


Christine Lane, R.I. mother, remembered for ‘love and dedication to her children’ — 1:30 p.m.

By Christopher Gavin, Globe Staff

PROVIDENCE — Christine Lane, a 49-year-old Barrington, R.I., mother to two, including Spencer, only recently began working as a sales associate for Residential Properties, a Providence-based real estate firm, which remembered her for her “love and dedication to her children.”

”We are shocked and deeply saddened to learn about the tragic news of the accident involving Christine Lane,” Ian Barnacle, Barrington sales manager, said in a statement to the Globe. “Though she was a recent addition to our company, she quickly became a cherished member of our team.

”Christine’s love and dedication to her children, and her support of her son Spencer’s passion for figure skating, is truly inspiring,” Barnacle continued. “Our heartfelt thoughts and prayers are with her family and loved ones.”

According to Barnacle, Lane only worked at the firm for a few weeks before Wednesday night’s crash, having started there on Jan. 2.Her husband, Douglas, said in an interview she recently obtained her real estate license and “was very excited about that new chapter.”


‘Why them?’ Neighbor remembers Hans as being ‘on a mission’ to achieve something — 1:28 p.m.

By Danny McDonald, Globe Staff

MANSFIELD — Debbie Herrera lives down the hall from the Han family in a quiet, nondescript residential complex in this suburban town tucked into the southeastern part of the state.

She found out Thursday morning that two members of the family — mother and daughter, Jin and Jinna — were killed in a plane crash outside Washington, D.C., from news crews descending on her building looking for reaction to the tragedy. She said she was shocked.

“Why them?” she asked. “Why anybody?”She described the family as friendly, always willing to say “hi” in the hall or outside in the parking lot.

They were always together, she said, and they would often leave in the morning and not come back until the night. She speculated that they spent many evenings at a skating rink for Jinna’s sporting obligation. They could often been seen shuffling in and out of the building carrying Jinna’s ice skating gear. The family, she said, left her with the impression that “they were on a mission” to achieve something.

”They were always just a nice family,” she said.

Herrera said she has been living here at the complex about a decade and estimated that the Hans had called this place home for a similar amount of time.

“I don’t know what to say,” she said. “It’s just so unlikely.”


Air traffic controllers union mourns victims of plane collision in D.C. — 1:20 p.m.

By Travis Andsersen, Globe Staff

A union for air traffic controllers on Thursday mourned the deaths of more than 60 people who were killed when a commercial flight collided with an Army helicopter the night before near Reagan National Airport.

”Our thoughts are with the family and friends of those affected by this event, and we offer our condolences to our brothers and sisters ... and all those involved in this tragedy,” said Nick Daniels, president of the National Air Traffic Controllers Association, in a statement.

Daniels said it’s too soon to speculate on the “root cause” of the tragedy and that the union will await findings from the NTSB investigation.

”We serve quietly, but events like this remind us of the weight we bear,” Daniels said. “This job is more than a profession; it’s a responsibility we hold deeply, and when tragedy strikes, it stays with us.”


Former Olympic skater Nancy Kerrigan, once a Skating Club of Boston member, came to the facility — 1:16 p.m.

By the Associated Press

She was joined by another Olympic skater Tenley Albright and others.

“We just wanted to be here and be part of our community,” Kerrigan said, her voice breaking several times as she talked to reporters.

“It’s just such a tragic event and we’ve been through tragedies before as Americans, as people, and we are strong, and I guess it’s how we respond to it,” she said. “So, my response was to be with the people I care about and love. I needed support so that’s why I’m here. I don’t know. A little bit at a time.”

Former Olympic skater Nancy Kerrigan, right, is embraced while arriving at The Skating Club of Boston with fellow Olympic skater Tenley Albright, left, Thursday, Jan. 30, 2025, in Norwood, Mass. Charles Krupa/Associated Press

Multiple former students at Loudoun County Public Schools in Virginia are among the victims — 1:15 p.m.

By the Associated Press

It was announced by the school district’s superintendent.

Mental health professionals will be available at schools, Superintendent Aaron Spence said in a letter to families and staff.

“This unimaginable loss has deeply affected our community, and with great sorrow, we have learned that multiple victims were former LCPS students,” Spence said.


‘A force of nature’: Father and husband of skating victims remembers Spencer and Christine Lane— 1:13 p.m.

By Niki Griswold and Christopher Gavin, Globe Staff

BARRINGTON, R.I. — Douglas Lane, husband to victim Christine Lane and father to their son Spencer, remembered Spencer as “a force of nature,” speaking to the Globe and WCVB Thursday morning.

”He just had amazing athletic abilities,” Lane said of Spencer, who was born in South Korea before Lane and his wife adopted him. “You couldn’t make him do something, but if he was like, ‘Hey, that’s interesting to me,’ you couldn’t stop him. And figure skating is, I think, the best example of that.”

Spencer had only been skating for three years, Lane said. He had been inspired by watching Nathan Chen at the Olympics, and decided to dive right in moving to the Skating Club of Boston, where he trained five days a week.

Lane praised his son’s “drive and tenacity,” which led him to attend high school online, so he could fully commit to skating. He loved the sport, and working with his “wonderful” coaches, Lane said.

”From the kind of smallest beginner skater to people that you’re probably going to see at the Olympics, they just adored him and marveled at what he could do,” said Lane. “Things that would take people a lifetime to accomplish, if they ever did, he just was able to do it and get better and better all the time.”

He had attracted a sizable following on Tik Tok, where viewers were drawn to his journey advancing in figure skating in such a short period of time. Spencer could do “every triple jump besides a triple axel,” and was starting to work on quads, which Lane called a “rarity” and an “unbelievable journey.”

This was essentially his first competitive season — Spencer had to make it to the top four in the eastern region to qualify for the camp, Lane said, and he finished first. The next step would’ve been competing for Team USA, and the Olympics.Lane said Spencer could “sit and watch skating endlessly.”

”They would have events sometimes in the Skating Club of Boston that would just be going on from, you know, eight in the morning till 10 at night, three nights in a row,” Lane said. “He would sit there, you know, mingle from one pack to the other, across all the age groups. And sleep over at my sister’s house, and we would see him three days later, with a smile from ear to ear.”

Lane’s voice shook as he described his wife as a “creative powerhouse,” who studied visual design at Syracuse University. She went on to a career in graphic design for years before chasing other creative pursuits.

”She was an outstanding quilter, and spent a lot of time sewing and quilting, volunteered at the local animal rescue in Rhode Island, working with people to place pets into adoptive homes, and recently, just got her real estate license and joined Residential Properties here in Barrington, as a sales agent, was very excited about that new chapter,” he said.

Christine, who was 49, was able to connect with everyone, from “older women sitting around a sewing table or a young college student working at a dog adoption with her,” he added.

Early in their relationship they decided they wanted to grow their family through adoption.

”It was, you know, a different journey into motherhood, but one that she really embraced and loved,” Lane said. “We both kind of embraced Korean culture and tried to make that part of our family, not always successful at it, as some of our Korean friends will tell us. But she just really embraced that … would do everything for her children … she just gave parenting her all and was really good at it.”

Spencer and Christine had been at the US Figure Skating Nationals in Wichita, and stayed after for what’s called the “high performance development camp.” Lane had been tracking their flight and planning to pick them up in Providence, R.I., when he noticed that though it “seemed like the flight had landed,” their phones didn’t appear to be on.

”I was like, okay, they’re probably just sitting on the tarmac waiting for the gate to open or something like that, so I wasn’t too concerned about it,” he said. But after a while he happened to see a story about a small plane in the Potomac.

”Oh my God, my heart just started, like, exploding out of my chest,” he said. “So I just started scrambling from there.”

Lane, and his other son with Christine, 12-year-old Milo, want people to remember their lost loved ones as people who lifted others up, were always willing to help, and had big hearts and dreams.


Air traffic controller told helicopter to ‘pass behind’ commercial plane before fatal collision, recordings say — 1:12 p.m.

By Travis Andersen, Globe Staff

An air traffic controller told an Army helicopter to “pass behind” a commercial flight in Washington DC before the aircrafts collided Wednesday night, killing more than 60 people.

”PAT-25, do you have the CRJ in sight?” the controller asks the helicopter pilot, according to audio posted by the Associated Press.

The acronym CRJ stands for a type of commercial aircraft called a Canadian Regional Jet, which was being operated by an American Airlines crew at the time of the collision.

”PAT-25, pass behind the CRJ,” the controller says before the collision.”

Tower, did you see that?” a controller says, apparently following impact.

A controller then begins warning other planes to avoid the area.

”Go around,” a controller tells one air craft, advising it to maintain altitude of 3,000 feet.

”Black Jack Three, can you return to base?” a controller says to another aircraft. “Black Jack Three, proceed directly. ... I need you to land.”

The controller continues, referring to the airport in Virginia, “I need you to land immediately, can you go to Dulles for a few minutes?”

”Can you go to Baltimore?” the controller asks another pilot, an apparent reference to Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport.

During a late morning briefing Thursday, President Trump appeared to place blame for the collision on the helicopter.

”The helicopter had vision of the plane, because you had vision of it all the way,” Trump told reporters. “And for some reason there weren’t adjustments made.”

The president said “you could have slowed down the helicopter substantially, you could have stopped the helicopter. You could have gone up, you could have gone down. You could have gone straight up, straight down. You could have turned. You could have done a million different maneuvers. For some reason, it just kept going and then made a slight turn at the very end, and there was, by that time it was too late.”

A crash site involving an American Airlines flight and a U.S. Army helicopter in the Potomac River near Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, seen from Joint Base Anacostia-Bolling in Washington, on Thursday, Jan. 30, 2025. KENNY HOLSTON/NYT

Mansfield Town Manager mourns loss of mother, daughter killed in crash — 1:00 p.m.

By Travis Andersen, Globe Staff

Mansfield Town Manager Kevin J. Dumas on Thursday mourned the deaths of a local mother and daughter who were among the casualties of the midair collision that killed more than 60 people in Washington D.C.

”As Town Manager, I extend my deepest sympathy to the Han Family on the tragic loss in their family,” Dumas said in a statement. “This horrific tragedy has hit home just as the terrible loss to our community during the attack on September 11, 2001. The Town is actively reaching out to the Han Family and remains committed to assist the family during this time of loss.”

Jinna Han, a young skater with the Skating Club of Boston, and her mother Jin Han were among the passengers of the American Airlines flight that collided with the Army helicopters. Officials say there are no survivors.


Pope Francis sent a personal telegram of condolences to Trump expressing his ‘deepest sympathies’ — 12:59 p.m.

By the Associated Press

Usually, papal telegrams of condolence are signed by the Vatican secretary of state. But Thursday’s note was signed by the pope himself and said Francis expressed his spiritual closeness to all those affected.

“I offer my deepest sympathies to the families who are now mourning the loss of a loved one. I likewise pray for those involved in the recovery efforts,” read the telegram.


Army Blackhawk appeared to be flying about 100 feet above max altitude allowed for its flight path — 12:56 p.m.

By the Associated Press

And the American Airlines jet also appeared to be too high initially for where they were on their final approach to the runway, based on an analysis of published route maps and radar data.

The published maximum FAA altitude for Route 4 at that point in the route — near Woodrow Wilson Bridge on the Potomac River — is 200 feet above ground level.

A radar track posted online late Wednesday showed the helicopter at 300 feet above ground level at the time of the collision. However, the radar data posted online hasn’t been independently verified. In his remarks at the White House, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth also said an “elevation issue” seemed to play a role in the crash.


Senator Chris Van Hollen of Maryland says Trump should apologize for his news conference remarks — 12:39 p.m.

By the Associated Press

“It was just grotesque the way he immediately politicized this terrible tragedy,” said the senator, who’s a Democrat.

Van Hollen noted the way Trump started “pointing fingers” without knowing the facts of the situation.

“He owes the American people an apology,” he said.


Former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg calls Trump’s criticisms ‘despicable’ — 12:32 p.m.

By the Associated Press

“As families grieve, Trump should be leading, not lying,” Buttigieg posted on X shortly after the president’s White House news conference.

He noted that when he led the agency, it “had zero commercial airline crash fatalities out of millions of flights on our watch.”

That followed Trump sharply criticizing Buttigieg and even resorting to profanity to denounce what he called Democartic-led efforts to promote diversity at federal agencies.

Trump said Buttigieg at the transportation department, had “run it right into the ground with his diversity.”


The passenger plane in the collision was a Bombardier CRJ700 — 12:27 p.m.

By the Associated Press

Bombardier is now headquartered in Wichita, Kansas, and the plane was certified in the city, said Jim Howell, a commissioner for Sedgwick County, which includes Wichita.

He spent two decades working in flight testing, including a stint with Bombardier in the early 1990s.

“There’s a lot of connections to this plane. There’s a lot of connections to Bombardier as a company. We have a lot of employees who work for Bombardier who are still involved in testing and maintaining those types of planes here in Wichita,” Howell said.


At White House briefing, Trump focused more on casting blame than mourning the crash victims — 12:19 p.m.

By the Associated Press

The president opened his news conference with a moment of silence honoring the crash victims. But then he used most of his time at the podium to cast political blame rather than call for healing after the tragedy.

Without evidence, Trump blamed air traffic controllers, the helicopter pilots and Democratic policies at federal agencies.

“No, I don’t think so,” he said when asked if he was getting ahead of himself.

The news conference went nearly 40 minutes and Trump said officials would be releasing a full list of victims.

But he also said that who was killed wouldn’t affect the investigation into what occurred. “The names of the people who were on the plane, you think that’s going to make a difference?,” Trump asked.


Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer says Trump theories on the crash ‘turns your stomach’ — 12:17 p.m.

By the Associated Press

“It’s one thing for internet pundits to spew off conspiracy theories, it’s another for the president of the United States,” Schumer said at the Capitol.

Schumer of New York said he’s been briefed on the crash and is monitoring the situation.


Heavy rain starting tonight could impede recovery efforts — 12:12 p.m.

By Ken Mahan, Globe Staff

Stormy weather starting tonight then into Friday could impede recovery efforts in the icy waters of the Potomac River as divers continue searching for more of the 67 victims feared dead from the midair collision of the American Airlines jet and Army helicopter, and start the arduous task of removing the wreckage.

So far, at least 28 bodies have been pulled from the Potomac, which was about 35 degrees at the time of the crash, around 9 p.m.”

The weather late tonight will begin to affect recovery efforts with a system reaching the area and delivering rain,” said Chris Strong, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Baltimore-Washington, DC. “The rain will start out light but will quickly increase to moderate to heavy rates, which will reduce visibility for first responders.”

Today’s 50-degree weather will drop into the 30s overnight while the waters of the Potomac are expected to remain above freezing in the 35- to 36-degree range into the night, according to the NWS. “There has been some scattered floating ice around on the river and the river will likely stay about the same temperature,” Strong said.

The weekend will see dry conditions with a mix of sun and clouds although bitter cold is forecast Saturday and Sunday night, dropping into the 20s. Officials said the recovery efforts will likely take several weeks.

A heavy band of rain will push into the DC metro area around 9 a.m. Friday morning.Boston Globe

International trades union says four members among those killed — 12:10 p.m.

By John R. Ellement, Globe Staff

An international trades union is reporting that four of its members were among the 64 passengers killed in the midair crash of American Airlines Flight 5342 and the US Army Blackhawk helicopter.

The four people belonged to Steamfitters Local 602, which has offices in Landover and Capital Heights in Maryland.

”We’re heartbroken to share that four UA Brothers were among the victims of the tragic crash of American Airlines Flight 5342. May they rest in peace,’’ the United Association union posted on X.


In wake of deadly collision, Trump stressed he wants ‘fast confirmations’ for his Cabinet picks — 12:07 p.m.

By the Associated Press

Sean Duffy, Trump’s new transportation secretary who also spoke at the White House press briefing, was sworn in just hours before the crash.

“For sure, we want fast confirmations,” Trump said. “The Democrats, as you know, are doing everything they can to delay. They’ve taken too long. We’re struggling to get very good people that everybody knows are going to be confirmed. We’re struggling to get them out faster.”

He said Duffy’s confirmation took longer than it should have.


Emotions pour from tight-knit skating community following DC plane crash carrying athletes, coaches — 12:05 p.m.

By the Associated Press

The tight-knit figure skating community was rocked Wednesday when an American Airlines flight carrying athletes, parents and coaches from a development camp in Wichita, Kansas, collided with an Army helicopter and crashed into the Potomac River.

“I’m in complete shock. I’m sorry, I don’t even know what to say. Young skaters, coaches, parents, so many bright lights in our community. My heart goes out to the victims and their loved ones,” said two-time and reigning US champion Amber Glenn.

”I’m heartbroken by the tragic loss of my fellow skaters in this devastating accident. The figure skating community is a family, and this loss is beyond words. My thoughts are with their families, friends and everyone affected. We will never forget them,” said three-time US and reigning world champion Ilia Malinin.


64 years after a history-altering crash, the Skating Club of Boston reckons with tragedy again — 12:03 p.m.

By Amin Touri, Globe Staff

The Skating Club of Boston is in mourning Thursday after a mid-air collision between an American Airlines jet and an Army helicopter near Washington, D.C., killed two club coaches, two skaters, and the skaters’ mothers.

The accident evokes particularly painful memories for a club that has been rocked by an airline tragedy in the past.

Read the full story.


Americans shouldn’t hesitate to fly, Trump says — 12:02 p.m.

By Travis Andersen, Globe Staff

President Trump said Americans should not feel reluctant to fly following the tragic midair collision in Washington D.C.

”No, not at all,” Trump said when asked if people should hesitate to board planes. “It’s been many years that something like this has happened, and the collision is just something that we don’t expect to ever to happen again. We are going to have the highest level people.”

He said, “I’m not blaming the controller. I’m saying there are things that you could question, like the height of the helicopter, the height of the plane. ... Flying is very safe. We have the safest flying anywhere in the world, and we’ll keep it that way.”

People walk through the check-in area at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport in Arlington, Va. on Jan. 30, 2025.CAROLINE GUTMAN/NYT

Trump vows to dismiss air traffic officials who ‘aren’t mentally competent’ — 12:00 p.m.

By the Associated Press

“For some jobs,” Trump said, singling out air traffic controllers. “They have to be at the highest level of genius.”

Trump blamed previous administrations’ efforts to promote diversity at federal agencies for contributing to the crash even though the crash has yet to be fully investigated and there has been no determination as to whether the FAA did anything wrong.


Trump says prior diversity efforts ‘could have been’ linked to midair collision— 11:56 p.m.

By Travis Andersen, Globe Staff

President Trump was asked during his briefing if he felt efforts to meet diversity goals factored into the deadly collision between the American Airlines flight and the Army helicopter.

A reporter asked him that after Trump spoke at length about diversity efforts during the Obama and Biden administrations that he claimed lowered standards among air traffic controllers and pilots.

”It just could have been,” Trump said of the diversity efforts. “There are various, very powerful tests that we put to use, and they were terminated by Biden, and Biden went by a standard that’s the exact opposite.”

It wasn’t clear what tests he was referring to.

Pressed on his contention that diversity efforts could have played a role in the crash, he said, “because I have common sense. Okay? And unfortunately a lot of people don’t.”

READ MORE

US President Donald Trump speaks about the mid-air crash between American Airlines flight 5342 and a military helicopter in Washington, in the Brady Press Briefing Room at the White House on January 30, 2025 in Washington, DC. OLIVER CONTRERAS/AFP via Getty Images

Trump tells his new transportation secretary, ‘It’s not your fault’ — 11:50 a.m.

By the Associated Press

Even though the cause of the crash hasn’t been determined, Trump seemed preoccupied with placing blame for the first major disaster to happen under his watch.

He made a point to tell newly sworn in Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, “It’s not your fault.”

Duffy then took the White House podium and declared, “When Americans take off in airplanes, they should expect to land at their destination.” He added, “We will not accept excuses.”

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy speaks in the James Brady Press Briefing Room at the White House, Thursday, Jan. 30, 2025, in Washington. Alex Brandon/Associated Press

Trump lashed out at Biden administration transportation secretary, despite not knowing crash’s cause — 11:49 a.m.

By the Associated Press

Trump harshly criticized former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg.

“That guy’s a real winner,” Trump said sarcastically of Buttigieg, before adding, “He’s a disaster.”

Trump blamed federal diversity and inclusion promotion efforts he said were championed under Buttigieg for standards slipping. He used profanity to describe such efforts.

Despite Trump’s comments, there was no evidence that the FAA or air traffic controllers were responsible for the crash.

President Donald Trump speaks about a plane crash at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport during a news conference at the White House in Washington, on Thursday, Jan. 30, 2025.DOUG MILLS/NYT

Hegseth says ‘mistake was made’ during the deadly crash — 11:45 a.m.

By Travis Andersen, Globe Staff

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said during the president’s briefing that “no excuses” will be accepted as authorities investigate the fatal midair collision between the commercial flight and the Army helicopter.

”There was some sort of an elevation issue that we have immediately begun investigating at the DOD and Army level,” Hegseth said, adding that Army investigators are on scene.

”It’s absolutely unacceptable,” he said of the tragedy.

Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth speaks about a plane crash at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport during a news conference at the White House in Washington, on Thursday, Jan. 30, 2025. DOUG MILLS/NYT

The president suggested without evidence that the FAA’s diversity efforts had made air travel less safe — 11:43 a.m.

By the Associated Press

The president asserted his opinion at the White House press briefing even though the crash has yet to be fully investigated and there has been no determination as to whether the FAA did anything wrong.

“The FAA is actively recruiting workers who suffer severe intellectual disabilities, psychiatric problems, and other mental and physical conditions under a diversity and inclusion hiring initiative spelled out on the agency’s website,” said Trump, noting that the program allowed for the hiring of people with hearing and vision issues as well as paralysis, epilepsy and “dwarfism.”

Trump said air traffic controllers needed to be geniuses.

“They have to be talented, naturally talented geniuses,” he said. “You can’t have regular people doing their job.”


Trump says of plane crash: ‘We’ll get to the bottom of it’ — 11:38 a.m.

By Travis Andersen, Globe Staff

President Trump said during his briefing that investigators will “get to the bottom” of the midair collision between the commercial flight and the Army helicopter that killed more than 60 people.

”We had a situation where you had a helicopter that had the ability to stop,” Trump said. “The helicopter had vision of the plane ... and for some reason there weren’t adjustments made.”

He said the helicopter could have “done a million different manuevers” to avoid the plane but “for some reason, it just kept going.”


Flights resumed taking off from Reagan National Airport shortly after 11 a.m. — 11:33 a.m.

By the Associated Press

They had been grounded since the Wednesday night collision.

Many flights were canceled, with airport information boards covered in red cancellation messages. Others were delayed until late morning and afternoon.

Planes at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport in Arlington, Va. on Jan. 30, 2025. CAROLINE GUTMAN/NYT
Southwest plane is seen taking off from Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, early Thursday morning, Jan. 30, 2025, in Arlington, Va.Carolyn Kaster/Associated Press

Trump says he’s appointing acting FAA commissioner following deadly crash — 11:33 a.m.

By Travis Andersen, Globe Staff

President Trump said Thursday that he’s appointing an acting FAA commissioner in the wake of the deadly midair collision between the commercial flight and Army helicopter in Washington, D.C.H

e said the appointee, Chris Rocheleau, has 22 years of agency experience.Rocheleau, Trump said, is “highly respected.” He said of air traffic controllers, “brilliant people have to be in those positions.”

He accused the Biden and Obama administrations without evidence of lowering standards for air traffic controllers to meet diversity standards.

U.S. President Donald Trump speaks to reporters about the collision of an American Airlines flight with a military Black Hawk helicopter near Ronald Reagan National Airport, in the Brady Press Briefing Room at the White House on January 30, 2025 in Washington, DC. Chip Somodevilla/Getty

Trump said it’s still not clear what led to the collision — 11:30 a.m.

By the Associated Press

He said the US military and the National Transportation Safety Board is investigating.

“We’ll find out how this disaster occurred and will ensure that nothing like this ever happens again,” he said.


Trump asks for moment of silence for crash victims — 11:21 a.m.

By Travis Andersen, Globe Staff

President Trump began his news conference Thursday on the deadly midair collision between the commercial flight and an Army helicopter in Washington, D.C. by asking for a moment of silence for the dozens of victims.

”Sadly, there are no survivors,” Trump said following the brief moment of silence. “This was a dark and excruciating night in our nation’s capital and in our nation’s history.”

He said “we do not know what led to this crash but we have some very strong opinions.”

US Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy, U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, and NTSB Chairman Jenniffer Homendy take a moment of silence before President Trump speaks to reporters about the collision of an American Airlines flight with a military Black Hawk helicopter near Ronald Reagan National Airport, in the Brady Press Briefing Room at the White House on January 30, 2025 in Washington, DC. Chip Somodevilla/Getty

President Trump delivering remarks on D.C. plane crash — 11:20 a.m.

By Jenna Reyes, Globe Staff

President Trump is delivering remarks after an American Airlines jet carrying 60 passengers and four crew members collided with an Army helicopter while landing at Ronald Reagan National Airport near Washington D.C. Wednesday night.

Watch the press conference here:


Mass. Governor expresses condolences on X — 11:19 a.m.

By Samantha J. Gross, Globe Staff

Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey shared her condolences about the fatal mid-air collision on X Thursday morning, writing that it was “devastating to hear how this tragic event has touched folks from all over the country, including here in Massachusetts.”

The Skating Club of Boston said that two local skaters, their parents, and two coaches were killed in the plane crash at Reagan National Airport Wednesday night.

”My heart goes out to the Skating Club of Boston, and the loved ones of the skaters, parents, and coaches lost in last night’s crash,” Healey wrote.


First lady Melania Trump said in a statement that she’s praying for the families of the victims — 11:19 a.m.

By the Associated Press

“My heart goes out to those impacted by last night’s terrible tragedy. I pray for those who so sadly lost their lives, their families & loved ones, & the first responders who have worked tirelessly through the night. May they find strength and solace in this difficult time,” she said in a post on X.


The collision is a common theme at Daniel Driscoll’s confirmation hearing for Army secretary — 11:14 a.m.

By the Associated Press

Alabama Senator Tommy Tuberville called the collision “devastating” and asked Driscoll about the cut in training sorties for pilots.

Driscoll reiterated that while he had little access to information, the collision “might have been a training exercise gone wrong, that had catastrophic outcomes. We’re going to have to work together to make sure that never occurs again, or at least to mitigate the odds that it could ever occur again.”


‘Dedicated moms making sacrifices’ among locals dead after crash — 11:13 a.m.

By Shannon Larson, Globe Staff

While in Wichita, Skating Club of Boston director Doug Zeghibe spent time with Jin Han and Christine Lane, the mothers of Jinna Han and Spencer Lane, who died in the crash with their children. Both were “dedicated moms making sacrifices,” he said.

The Lanes, who live in Rhode Island, spent a lot time commuting. It was a “real commitment” for Spencer, who Zeghibe described as a “young phenom,” to skate at the club. He had only been skating for a couple years but was quickly “skyrocketing to the top.”

”His parents were working to support that,” Zeghibe said.

The Han family had been with the club for years and “are definitely a member of [the club] family,” Zeghibe said.

Jin Han was “one of the most wonderful, pleasant, polite, smiling — just fantastic, fantastic member of the club,” he recalled. “Never a discouraging word, always appreciative, always supportive of not just Jinna, her daughter, but every athlete.”

They were “role model parents in youth sports, and you don’t always get that,” Zeghibe said. “Our kids compete hard on the ice against each other, but when they step off the ice, it’s a pretty tight knit group. The parents as well.”


Transportation Secretary Duffy mourns crash victims — 11:13 a.m.

By Travis Andersen, Globe Staff

US Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy on Thursday took to social media to mourn the dozens of people killed in a midair collision between a commercial flight and an Army helicopter in Washington, D.C.

”May God rest the souls on that plane and in the helicopter and comfort their grieving families,” Duffy said late Thursday morning via X.

He said Wednesday night on the platform that he had directed the DOT and the FAA to “provide full support” to the NTSB and “all responding agencies and authorities.”


NTSB leading probe of crash — 11:12 a.m.

By Travis Andersen, Globe Staff

The National Transportation Safety Board is leading the probe into the midair collision between the American Airlines flight and an Army helicopter in Washington, D.C.

”FAA investigators are supporting the NTSB-led investigation of Wednesday night’s midair collision near Reagan Washington National Airport,” the FAA said Thursday morning via X. “The NTSB is leading the investigation and will provide all updates.”

The FAA said it will also “quickly take any actions necessary based on evidence from the investigation.”


What is the Skating Club of Boston? — 11:12 a.m.

By Amin Touri, Globe Staff

Six members of the Skating Club of Boston are dead after a mid-air collision between an American Airlines jet and an Army helicopter near Washington, D.C., on Wednesday night: coaches Evgenia Shishkova and Vadim Naumov; skaters Jinna Han and Spencer Lane, and the skaters’ mothers, Jin Han and Christine Lane.

They were among a sizable cohort of figure skaters, coaches, and families returning from a development camp following the US skating championships in Wichita, Kansas.

Shishkova and Naumov won a world title skating as a pair for Russia in 1994 and joined the Skating Club of Boston as coaches in 2017.

Here’s what to know about the Skating Club of Boston.

The Skating Club of Boston in Norwood, MA January 30, 2025. Craig F. Walker/Globe Staff

‘Hole in our coaching staff,’ following plane crash, director says — 11:11 a.m.

By Shannon Larson, Globe Staff

After the devastating loss of their members, the Skating Club of Boston will have to “rebuild over time,” executive director Doug Zeghibe said.

A “giant hole” has been left in their coaching staff following the deaths of coaches Vadim Naumov and Evgenia Shiskova, he said. ”I’m not quite sure how we’re going to fill that.”

Naumov and Shishkova had been training together since they were young, but their “romance came later,” Zeghibe said.

Both had a “great sense of humor,” Zeghibe said.

He described Naumov as “an old-school coach,” having trained in St. Petersburg, Russia. “He was a good role model for our kids here,” Zeghibe said.

Naumov “loved young kids” but was also a “firm disciplinarian, and not in a punishment way, by any means, but in boundaries and training,” Zeghibe said. “He made the kids keep to the proper standards, very much in the Russian method.”

The method arguably “produces more champions because it is so strict,” Zeghibe said.

Shishkova was “incredibly resilient,” said Zeghibe, noting that women who skate on pair teams are “incredibly tough.”

”They have to look like they’re making it easy” while getting tossed up in the air and having to land on one foot.

She was a “fabulous addition to this community,” he said. You could not see her “and just not break into a smile.”

The Skating Club of Boston recruited the couple from a club in Connecticut to coach in Norwood and help build out the Skating Club’s own program.

”I’m just going to miss them terribly,” Zeghibe said.


Army official says they can’t confirm helicopter crew was wearing night vision goggles at time of crash — 11:02 a.m.

By the Associated Press

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said earlier in a recorded message that they had them on.

The official spoke on the condition of anonymity to provide additional details.


FAA employees weren’t part of Trump’s offer to downsize the federal workforce — 11:00 a.m.

By the Associated Press

That’s according to a person familiar with the offer who insisted on anonymity.

The US government’s recent offer was to put workers on paid leave through the end of September in return for them leaving their jobs.

The status of FAA employees became an important question of air safety after Wednesday evening’s collision at the Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport. The Transportation Department had the option of carving out certain workers from the offer sent Tuesday by email from the Office of Personnel Management.


Copter pilot likely at fault for Washington collision, MIT aviation expert says — 10:57 a.m.

By Aaron Pressman, Globe Staff

The tragic collision of an American Airlines passenger jet with a military helicopter over the Potomac River in Washington on Wednesday appeared to be an exceedingly rare case of error by the helicopter pilot, aeronautics professor John Hansman, director of the MIT International Center for Air Transportation, said Thursday morning.

Under the clear visibility at the time of the collision, air traffic controllers at Reagan National Airport correctly assigned responsibility to the helicopter pilot to avoid the jetliner in the moments before the crash, Hansman said, barring new details that could yet come out.

”In visual conditions, when airplanes can see each other, the controller has the option to give separation responsibility to one of the airplanes and this is what happened last night,” Hansman said. “But there’s always the chance something will go wrong in some system, somebody gets distracted, and people will look into that here.”


Skaters will ‘come together and grieve together,’ skating club executive director says — 10:55 a.m.

By Shannon Larson, Globe Staff

Zeghibe said he does not know what the next steps are for the club. “I hadn’t thought that far,” he said. But he “assumes” that it will be open “just because skaters are resilient and they want to skate.”

”I think also they come to the club and will come to the club as an opportunity to come together and to grieve together,” he said. “There’s never a good time for a tragedy like this.”

The club is a small organization with a large facility, said Zeghibe, and they are the local host for the World Championships at the end of March, “so we’re pretty busy and we can’t take a break.”

”We need to keep moving,” he said.


By the Associated Press

The agency is also directing other boat traffic away from the area strewn with wreckage after the collision.

The Coast Guard says crews will also help deal with any pollution, remove wreckage when possible and re-open the waterway once it’s safe.

Authorities have said the work to recover the remains of the victims could be lengthy.

People look out towards the crash site of the American Airlines plane on the Potomac River as it approached the Reagan National Airport on January 30, 2025 in Arlington, Virginia. Andrew Harnik/Getty

Reagan Airport set to resume flight operations at 11 a.m. — 10:53 a.m.

By John R. Ellement Globe Staff

Reagan National Airport is set to resume flight operations at 11 a.m. Thursday, according to the airport’s social media pages.

”Reagan National airport will resume flight operations at 11:00am. All airport roads and terminals are open,” the airport posted on its website and on social media. “Some flights have been delayed or canceled, so passengers are encouraged to check with their airline for specific flight information.”

Passengers wait in line to check in for their flights at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport in Arlington, Va. on Jan. 30, 2025. CAROLINE GUTMAN/NYT

Tragedy has struck the Skating Club of Boston before — 10:49 a.m.

By Shannon Larson, Globe Staff

This is not the first time the figure skating world — and the Skating Club of Boston — has experienced a devastating tragedy.

A plane crash in 1961 in Belgium that killed the entire US Figure Skating team, which was en route to the world championships in Prague.

”Almost half of everybody on board that plane were from this club,” executive director Doug Zeghibe said Thursday.

”It had long, long, reaching implications for this skating club and for the sport in this country. Because when you lose coaches like this, you lose the future of the sport as well,” he said. “It’s been a long time in redeveloping it, and I personally feel that this club, the Skating Club of Boston, has just now, almost 60 years later, have been coming out of the shadow of that 1961 crash.”

”So this,” he said, “is particularly devastating.”

Members of the club are “trying to process” the tragedy.

Zeghibe said his phone has been “blowing up with emails and folks, you know, offering to support in any way they can, expressing condolences and just how stunned they are by it.”


Nominee to lead the Army questions training near Reagan National Airport — 10:47 a.m.

By the Associated Press

Under questioning on Army training accidents from Senator Jeanne Shaheen, Secretary of the Army nominee Daniel Driscoll said that from what he’s seen, the air collision is “an accident that seems to be preventable.”

At his Senate confirmation hearing, Driscoll said there are appropriate times to take risks and there are inappropriate ones.

He told senators he would work with the Senate Armed Services Committee to examine operations. “I think we might need to look at where is an appropriate time to take a training risk, and it may not be near an airport like Reagan.”


At Reagan National Airport after the collision — 10:42 a.m.

By the Associated Press

Inside the airport Thursday morning, the mood was somber as stranded passengers milled around waiting for flights to resume.

They sidestepped camera crews and stared out the terminal’s windows at the Potomac River, where recovery efforts were barely visible in the distance. Officials had announced earlier that they didn’t expect to find any survivors.

“This is an inconvenience for us, but that ain’t nothing compared to what those families are going through,” said Chris Adams, whose flight back home to Texas was delayed several hours. “Life’s just too short.”

Aster Andemicael had been at the airport since Wednesday evening with her elderly father, who was flying to Indiana to visit family. She said she spent much of the long night thinking about the victims and their families.

“I’ve been crying since yesterday,” she said, her voice choking up.

American Airlines regional jets park at the Reagan National Airport as the investigation continues into the crash of an American Airlines plane on the Potomac River after the plane crashed last night on approach to Reagan National Airport on January 30, 2025 in Arlington, Virginia. Andrew Harnik/Getty

RI Senator Reed mourns victims of plane crash — 10:33 a.m.

By Travis Andersen, Globe Staff

Rhode Island Senator Jack Reed on Thursday mourned the dozens of people killed in the fatal collision between a commercial flight and an Army helicopter.

”Our deepest condolences to the families, loved ones, and communities who are experiencing immeasurable loss due to this tragic midair collision,” Reed, a West Point graduate and former Army officer, said in a statement. “I am continuing to monitor the situation closely with updates from DOD, FAA, and other agencies.”

Reed said officials were “truly grateful to the first responders and those who continue working around the clock in difficult conditions to respond to this tragedy. This was an absolutely devastating incident and our thoughts are with the victims and those impacted. It’s important to allow experts to drill down and gather all the facts and get people the answers they deserve.”


‘Extremely promising skaters’ on the plane — 10:31 a.m.

By John R. Ellement, Globe Staff

Linda K. Wertheimer, a former Boston Globe education editor whose son competes in juvenile pairs ice dancing, said in a telephone interview Thursday that the deaths of the skaters, their mothers, and the coaches will have a widespread impact on the sport.

”This crash will have a tremendous impact on the future of skating for the United States. There were top, top young skaters on there who were likely aiming for making the top ranks at the national championships, at world championships at the Olympics,” she said. “It’s too soon to tell how far they would have gone, but there were extremely promising skaters on that plane. You had top freestyle skaters, top young ice dancers, and then also US figure skating lost two incredible freestyle coaches from The Skating Club of Boston.”

Wertheimer was in Wichita last week to watch her son, Simon Mintz and his ice dancing partner compete in the national competitions. At one point she volunteered to help at the rink at a time that Maxim Naumov was practicing while his father monitored his performance.

”I saw the wonderful interactions between Maxim and his dad,” Wertheimer said.

“You could see both the caring and the careful coaching. It was obviously a very loving relationship.”

While her son is not a member of the Norwood club, Wertheimer said that she encountered Naumov and Shishkova periodically at rinks around the region.

”They were very approachable, kind people,” she said.


Virginia senator says families of plane collision victims are still being notified — 10:30 a.m.

By the Associated Press

At a confirmation hearing for one of Trump’s Cabinet nominees, Virginia Senator Mark Warner said he spent most of Wednesday night at the Reagan National Airport as first responders were searching for survivors.

He warned that families are still being notified about the status of their loved ones and that should be the focus right now.


Local skaters killed in crash: Who were Spencer Lane and Jinna Han? — 10:29 a.m.

By Shannon Larson, Globe Staff

Spencer Lane and Jinna Han had been training at US Figure Skating’s national development camp, held for younger skaters who “have been identified with promise,” said Doug Zeghibe, CEO of the Skating Club of Boston.

They were not competing at the US figure skating championships because they were at the novice level, he said.

Both the Lane and Han families were “very much embedded in our community” and “wonderful people,” Zeghibe said.

Spencer Lane was “in the best way possible ... a crazy kid,” said Zeghibe with a smile. Despite having not been skating for that long, he was “highly talented, like incredibly talented” and “just rocketing to the top of the sport,” he said.

He was fun, cerebral, a good thinker, Zeghibe said.

Jinna Han was “just a wonderful kid,” said Zeghibe, recalling her as a “great athlete, great competitor, loved by all.”


Relatives of Mass.-based victims of crash headed to Washington D.C. — 10:26 a.m.

By Travis Andersen, Globe Staff

Relatives of the Skating Club of Boston members aboard the American Airlines flight that collided with the helicopter were en route to Washington, D.C. on Thursday morning as the recovery effort for their loved ones continues.

”To the best of my knowledge, Max is en route to Washington along with the dads of Spencer and Jinna,” said club executive director Doug Zeghibe during a briefing.

He was referring to competitive figure skater Maxim Naumov, whose parents, the club coaches Evgenia Shishkova and Vadim Naumov, were on the flight, as well as teenaged skaters Spencer Lane and Jinna Han, who were accompanied on the plane by their mothers, Christine Lane and Jin Han.


Who were the Boston-area coaches killed? — 10:23 a.m.

By Shannon Larson, Globe Staff

Vadim Naumov and Evgenia Shishkova were world pairs champions in 1994 and have been coaching at the club since 2017, Zeghibe said. The two veteran skaters “were very much a part of our building the competitive skating program here,” executive director Doug Zeghibe said.

They taught a class called “Tomorrow’s Champions,” which Zeghibe said was grounded in “what they had learned and what they developed” back in Russia, “Very popular with families, proven success,” Zeghibe said, “which is why I think they had so many kids at the championships and at the national development camp.”

He continued: “It’s a major personal loss, but it’s also a loss to our skating community.”

The couple’s son, Max, who trains at the club, was competing at the US Championships in Wichita, Kansas, in the senior men’s event. He placed fourth and traveled home Sunday aboard the same plane as Zeghibe.Both of his parents were with him when he was skating. “It’s well known mom was always too nervous to watch him skate,” Zeghibe said. His words caught in his throat and he grimaced with grief.

Naumov saw his “great performance,” Zeghibe said. Max, who has been skating at the club since 2017, is set to compete in the Four Continents championship after next week, and is an alternate for the world championships at TD Garden at the end of March.

Max is a “well-decorated skater,” Zeghibe said. “Very close to his parents.”


Video shows D.C. plane crash involving American Airlines flight, Black Hawk helicopter — 10:22 a.m.

Video shows DC plane crash involving American Airlines flight, Black Hawk helicopter
An American Airlines passenger jet collided with a military helicopter while landing at Ronald Reagan national airport near Washington DC.

GOP committee chairman takes a moment to honor plane collision victims at confirmation hearing — 10:21 a.m.

By the Associated Press

Senator Tom Cotton of Arkansas opened the hearing Thursday of Tulsi Gabbard’s nomination to be Director of National Intelligence by holding a moment of silence for the victims of the Wednesday night collision.

“Our hearts and prayers are with the families and friends who lost loved ones last night, as well as the first responders who are still on the scene,” Cotton said.


Trump sent a message for the victims of the collision and thanked first responders — 10:17 a.m.

By the Associated Press

He’ll hold a press briefing later Wednesday morning.

“I have been fully briefed on the terrible accident which just took place at Reagan National Airport. May God Bless their souls,” he said on Truth Social. “Thank you for the incredible work being done by our first responders. I am monitoring the situation and will provide more details as they arise.”


First responders continue their search for victims — 10:10 a.m.

By the Associated Press

Search and rescue efforts are seen around a wreckage site in the Potomac River from Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, early Thursday morning, Jan. 30, 2025, in Arlington, Va.Carolyn Kaster/Associated Press
People, including law enforcement members, are seen near a runway at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport as rescue crews search the waters of the Potomac River after a passenger plane on approach to Reagan crashed into the river after colliding with a US Army helicopter, near Washington, DC, on January 30, 2025.ANDREW CABALLERO-REYNOLDS/AFP via Getty Images
Emergency response units search near the crash site of an American Airlines plane on the Potomac River after an accident last night while on approach to Reagan National Airport on January 30, 2025 in Arlington, Virginia.Andrew Harnik/Getty

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth gives more details in a video posted on X — 10:05 a.m.

By the Associated Press

He said the Army helicopters was doing “an annual proficiency training flight.”

Hegseth said they haven’t notified all relatives of the crew aboard the helicopter, but added “it was a fairly experienced crew.”

“It was doing the required annual night evaluation. They did have night vision goggles,” he said.

He said aviation operations from the US Army in Washington are on a 48-hour operational pause as the crash is reviewed.

“We anticipate that the investigation will quickly be able to determine whether the aircraft was in the quarter and the right altitude at the time of the incident.”


President Trump scheduled to speak about the collision at 11 a.m. from the White House briefing room — 9:58 a.m.


See the path of the American Airlines flight — 9:56 a.m.

By Christina Prignano, Globe Staff

The American Airlines flight that collided with an Army helicopter on Wednesday evening was on its final approach to Reagan National Airport.

The flight was traveling north along the Potomac River when it collided with a Black Hawk shortly before 9 p.m., according to data from FlightRadar24.

See the flight path of the American Airlines flight and the approximate crash site in the map below.


It isn’t the first time figure skating has suffered a devastating blow in a plane crash — 9:54 a.m.

By the Associated Press

A 1961 crash in Belgium killed all 18 members of the American team heading to the world championships.

The community has only recently emerged from the shadow of that tragedy, making the crash in the nation’s capital all the more devastating, Skating Club of Boston CEO Doug Zeghibe said.

Still, skaters are resilient and already beginning to come together to mourn and recover, he said.


Washington, DC, Mayor Muriel Bowser says she expects Reagan National Airport to reopen for flights at 11 a.m. — 9:50 a.m.

By the Associated Press

Speaking to CNN, Bowser said her administration and multiple public safety agencies were “working hand in hand with NTSB” to understand the cause of the collision.

“I think we’re going to have a lot of questions,” she said. “The NTSB is responsible for answering those questions.”

While recovery efforts continue, Bowser said investigators were studying the available communications and the behavior of both aircraft in order to understand what went wrong.

“We have no indication that the plane did anything that any pilot approaching Reagan National wouldn’t have done in order to land and land safety,” she said.

Although the airport is scheduled to resume flight operations, Bowser said individual airlines will have to make decisions about when to start up again.


‘Horrific tragedy:’ Skating Club of Boston director on local victims — 9:47 a.m.

By Shannon Larson, Globe Staff

Holding a written statement in his hand, Skating Club of Boston CEO Doug Zeghibe paused.

”It’s better if I speak from the heart,” he said.

Last night and into the early morning, Zeghibe said the Norwood club learned of the “pretty horrific tragedy” that claimed the lives of six members of its tight-knit community: two figure skaters, Jinna Han and Spencer Lane, and their mothers; and two well-respected coaches, Vadim Naumov and Evgenia Shishkova, a married couple and former world champions from Russia. Their son, Maximus, also skates for the club, but was not traveling aboard the plane with his parents.

The six victims were returning home from the national development camp at Wichita, Kansas, held by US Figure Skating, along with more than a dozen other skaters, when the plane crashed in Washington, D.C., Zeghibe said. The club sent 18 skaters to Wichita to compete and 12 skaters were at the camp.”

Skating is a very close and tight-knit community. These kids and their parents, they’re here at our facility in Norwood six, sometimes seven days a week. It’s a close, tight bond, and I think for all of us, we have lost that,” said Zeghibe, his voice breaking. “Six is a horrific number for us, but we’re fortunate and grateful it wasn’t more than six.”


Figure skating community in shock after DC plane crash claims lives of coaches, athletes — 9:40 a.m.

By the Associated Press

Two highly-regarded Russian figure skating coaches whose son recently finished fourth at the US Figure Skating Championships were among those feared dead after an American Airlines flight collided with an Army helicopter and crashed into the frigid waters of the Potomac River on Wednesday night.

US Figure Skating confirmed that several skaters, coaches and family members were on the commercial flight after attending a development camp that followed the national championships that wrapped up Sunday in Wichita, Kansas.

“We are heartbroken to learn that figure skaters, along with their families, friends and coaches, are understood to be among those on board,” US Figure Skating said in a statement. “Our thoughts are with everyone affected by this tragedy.


Zeghibe says those killed included teenagers, parents and coaches — 9:35 a.m.

By the Associated Press

He described the victims as wonderful and highly talented, saying their loss would resonate through the skating community for years.

“I don’t know what the word is, wrecked, devastated. Folks are just stunned by this,” Zeghibe said. “They are like family to us.”


Six members or associates from the Skating Club of Boston were killed in the plane crash — 9:32 a.m.

By the Associated Press

“This will have long reaching impacts for our community,” CEO Doug Zeghibe said during a news conference where he was visibly emotional.


US Representative Ron Estes of Kansas: Information from federal investigations likely will be slow to come out — 9:24 a.m.

By the Associated Press

“I know that’s frustrating for all of us,” he said.


LISTEN: Audio from air traffic control before and after collision happened — 9:23 a.m.

Air traffic controller audio captures moments before and after Washington plane crash
Everyone aboard American Airlines jet that collided with Army helicopter near D.C. is feared dead.

The Federal Aviation Administration is investigating the crash — 9:18 a.m.

By the Associated Press

The agency is part of an investigation led by the National Transportation Safety Board.

The FAA says it will quickly do anything that’s necessary based on the evidence the probe turns up.


Wichita mayor says the city will have additional resources, especially for affected staff — 9:17 a.m.

By the Associated Press

“I am grieving with everyone in our community and those in Washington, D.C.,” Wichita Mayor Lily Wu said.

Wu also said she doesn’t know how many, if any, Wichita residents were aboard the flight.


The Wichita airport remains open and air traffic there continues — 9:10 a.m.

By the Associated Press

That’s according to Wichita airport Director Jesse Romo, who was speaking at a news conference.


Wichita mayor: ‘This is a terrible tragedy that will unite those in Washington, DC; and Wichita, Kansas, forever’ — 9:07 a.m.

By the Associated Press

Wichita Mayor Lily Wu was speaking at a Thursday morning news conference.


What’s known about what may have caused the crash — 8:45 a.m.

By the Associated Press

  • It was a clear night.
  • Both the helicopter and the American Airlines flight were in standard patterns. It’s common for both types of aircraft to share air space in the nation’s capital.
  • Duffy said the crash was preventable and alluded to early indicators about what happened, but did not elaborate as the crash is being investigated.

The search for loved ones after the crash — 8:36 a.m.

By the Associated Press

American Airlines has sent up centers in Washington and in Wichita, Kansas, for people seeking information about family members.

There’s also a hotline for people looking for family and friends: 1-800 679 8215.

The D.C. fire chief said he’s confident remains of those killed in the crash will be recovered, but it may take some time.

Search and rescue efforts are seen around a wreckage site in the Potomac River from Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, early Thursday morning, Jan. 30, 2025, in Arlington, Va. Mark Schiefelbein/Associated Press

Duffy was asked about Trump suggesting in an overnight post the collision could have been prevented — 8:11 a.m.

By the Associated Press

“Do I think this was preventable? Absolutely,” Duffy said in response.


Duffy says the night was clear and operations were standard up until the collision — 8:09 a.m.

By the Associated Press

“I would just say that everyone who flies in American skies expects that we fly safely. That when you depart an airport, you get to your destination. That didn’t happen last night and I know that President Trump, his administration, the FAA, the DOT, we will not rest until we have answers for the families and for the flying public. You should be assured that when you fly, you’re safe,” he told reporters.


Duffy says US has ‘safest airspace in the world’ — 8:01 a.m.

By the Associated Press

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy was asked if he could reassure Americans that the United States still has the safest airspace.

“Can I guarantee the American flying public that the United States has the most safe and secure airspace in the world? And the answer to that is, absolutely yes, we do,” he said. “We have early indicators of what happened here. And I will tell you, with complete confidence that we have the safest airspace in the world.”


Airport to reopen at 11 a.m. — 7:55 a.m.

By the Associated Press

Jack Potter, the CEO of Washington’s airport authority, said Ronald Reagan National Airport will re-open at 11 a.m.

Signs display an "Emergency Alert" at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, Thursday, Jan. 30, 2025, in Arlington, Va. Mark Schiefelbein/Associated Press

27 bodies recovered from American Airlines jet — 7:53 a.m.

By the Associated Press

First responders have recovered the bodies of 27 passengers from the American Airlines jet that collided with the helicopter.

The body of the plane was found upside down in three sections in waist-deep water. The wreckage of the helicopter was also found.

Officials said they were still searching for other casualties but did not believe there were any other survivors, which would make it the deadliest US air crash in nearly 24 years.


Transportation secretary says weather was ‘clear’ — 7:42 a.m.

By the Associated Press

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said says it was a clear night and standard flight pattern. Military aircraft and passenger craft flights in air space at the same time is not unusual, he said.

The aircraft is in three sections in waist-deep water, Duffy said.

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, with District of Columbia Mayor Muriel Bowser, left, and others, speaks during a news conference at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, Thursday morning, Jan. 30, 2025, in Arlington, Va. Mark Schiefelbein/Associated Press

DC Mayor expresses grief after plane crash — 7:38 a.m.

By the Associated Press

Washington Mayor Muriel Bowser said the nation’s capital is grieving along with families in Kansas and across the country.

“This morning we all share a profound sense of grief,” Bowser said.

District of Columbia Mayor Muriel Bowser speaks during a news conference at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, Thursday morning, Jan. 30, 2025, in Arlington, Va. Mark Schiefelbein/Associated Press

Families anxious for news of loved ones on the AA flight — 7:18 a.m.

By the Associated Press

Hamaad Raza is waiting for news from authorities about the fate of his wife, who he said was on the American Airlines flight from Wichita.

Raza said he was waiting for the plane when his wife texted that her flight was 20 minutes from landing.

When his messages failed to be delivered he became concerned.

“That’s when I realized something might be up,” Raza told WUSA-TV.

His 26-year-old wife, who he didn’t name, had flown to Wichita, Kansas, for work.

“I’m just praying that somebody’s pulling her out of the river as we speak,” Raza said. “That’s all I can pray for.”


A look at fatal commercial plane crashes in recent US history — 6:58 a.m.

By the Associated Press

The aircraft that collided Wednesday over the Potomac River near Washington D.C. was a Bombardier CRJ-701 twin-engine plane carrying 64 people and a UH-60 Blackhawk helicopter. It’s not clear yet how many people were killed.

Fatal crashes of commercial aircraft in the US have become a rarity. The deadliest recent crash took place on Feb. 12, 2009 near Buffalo, New York.

That incident saw a Colgan Air Bombardier DHC-8 propeller plane crashing into a house, killing everyone aboard including 45 passengers, two pilots and two flight attendants. Another person on the ground also died, bringing the total death toll to 50.

In August 2006, a Comair aircraft crashed when taking off in Lexington, Kentucky, after it left from the wrong runway and ran off the end. Two crew members and 47 passengers were killed.

And in November 2001, an American Airlines flight crashed into a residential area of Belle Harbor, New York just after take off. All 260 people aboard the plane were killed.


The scene from across Ronald Reagan National Airport — 6:37 a.m.

By the Associated Press

Apart from a few flashing red lights, Ronald Reagan National Airport looks eerily still from Daingerfield Island, directly across the water.

As the sun begins to rise, we can now see the actual water of the Potomac River for the first time. Along the shoreline, dozens of flashing emergency lights in red and white indicated ongoing search efforts. Further into the Potomac River, more flashing blue and white lights moved across the water. Overhead, a circling helicopter is a constant presence.

Some 300 first responders had arrived at the scene overnight and inflatable rescue boats were launched into the Potomac. D.C. fire chief John Donnelly said earlier that “The conditions out there are extremely rough for the responders.”

Emergency response units search the crash site of the American Airlines plane on the Potomac River after the plane crashed on approach to Reagan National Airport on January 30, 2025 in Arlington, Virginia. Win McNamee/Getty

Kremlin confirms former champion Russian skaters were onboard the plane — 5:54 a.m.

By the Associated Press

The Kremlin has confirmed that Russian figure skaters, as well as other Russian nationals, were on the American Airlines plane that crashed into the Potomac River near Washington, DC.

Spokesman Dmitry Peskov confirmed to reporters Thursday that Russian figure skaters Evgenia Shishkova and Vadim Naumov, who won the pairs title at the 1994 world championships and competed at the Winter Olympics twice, were aboard the plane.

“Unfortunately, we see that this sad information is being confirmed. There were other fellow citizens there. Bad news today from Washington. We are sorry and send condolences to the families and friends who lost those of our fellow citizens who died in the plane crash,” he said.

He did not give details on how many fatalities there were.

Shishkova and Naumov are listed as professional pairs coaches on the website of the Skating Club of Boston. Their son, Maxim Naumov, is a competitive figure skater for the US.


Rescuers search in near freezing water for survivors — 5:20 a.m.

By the Associated Press

Hundreds of rescuers are searching the frigid waters of the Potomac River for any survivors of the plane crash. Images showed boats around a partly submerged wing and what appeared to be the mangled wreckage of the plane’s fuselage.

Helicopters flew overhead with powerful search lights scanning the murky waters. Emergency vehicles lit up the banks of the Potomac in a long line of blinking red lights.

The water temperature was just above freezing.

Boats work the scene in the Potomac River near Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, Thursday, Jan. 30, 2025, in Arlington, Va. Alex Brandon/Associated Press

Global figure skating community ‘heartbroken’ — 5:11 a.m.

By the Associated Press

The international governing body for figure skating said the global skating community was “deeply shocked” and heartbroken to learn that figure skaters and those close to them were onboard the flight that collided with a military helicopter.

“Our thoughts are with everyone affected by this tragedy. Figure skating is more than a sport — it’s a close-knit family — and we stand together,” the International Skating Union said in a statement.


Group of figure skaters and coaches were on the jet — 4:54 a.m.

By the Associated Press

Passengers on the American Airlines flight included a group of figure skaters, their coaches and family members who were returning from a development camp held after the national US Figure Skating Championships in Wichita, US Figure Skating said in a statement.

The organization said “several members of our skating community” were on the flight, but didn’t provide more details.

“We are devastated by this unspeakable tragedy and hold the victims’ families closely in our hearts,” the organization said.

“We will continue to monitor the situation and will release more information as it becomes available,” it added.


Officials offer few details on victims as they conclude press briefing — 1:25 a.m.

By the Associated Press

“I can’t say anything about the rescue operation right now,” D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser said as reporters continued to press for updates on the passengers.

She also declined to comment on the condition of aircraft, which remains submerged in the Potomac River.

Asked if there are any survivors, Fire and EMS Chief John A. Donnelly responded: “We don’t know yet. But we’re working.”


Officials didn’t announce deaths but had a somber tone at press briefing — 1:16 a.m.

By the Associated Press

Officials who held a press conference at Reagan National Airport did not announce any deaths, but they all had a somber tone.

Senator Roger Marshall, of Kansas, said, “When one person dies it’s a tragedy, but when many, many, many people die it’s an unbearable sorrow.”

D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser would not say whether any bodies were recovered from the crash.

Search and rescue efforts have been challenging, said D.C. Fire and EMS Chief John A. Donnelly. The Potomac River is about 8 feet (2.4 meters) deep where the aircraft crashed after the collision.

“The water is dark,” he said. “It is murky.”


Senator Jerry Moran says the crash is ‘a very personal circumstance’ — 1:08 a.m.

By the Associated Press

Senator Jerry Moran, a Republican from Kansas, said the plane that crashed was flying a route from Wichita to Washington that began about a year ago.

“I know that flight,” he said. “I’ve flown it several times myself.”

Moran said he expected that many people in Wichita would know people who were on the flight.

“This is a very personal circumstance,” he said.


A media briefing on the collision is underway — 1:05 a.m.

By the Associated Press

D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser is joined by several other officials, including newly minted transportation secretary, Sean Duffy.

Bowser said American Airlines leadership is on the way, and she expects officials to be holding frequent briefings tomorrow.


About 300 responders are working on the rescue, fire and EMS chief says — 1:04 a.m.

By the Associated Press

Fire and EMS Chief John A. Donnelly says, “The conditions out there are extremely rough for responders” with cold weather and intense wind.

A boat works the scene near Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, Thursday, Jan. 30, 2025, in Arlington, Va. Alex Brandon/Associated Press

Witness living near the Potomac River says she heard 2 booms and smelled jet fuel — 12:49 a.m.

By the Associated Press

Ashlyn Finch said she was at home near the Potomac River when she heard two booms.

Finch said in a Facebook message to The Associated Press that her 12-year-old son “came running down saying he saw a plane crash and the lights go into the water.”

When they opened the back door, they were hit with the smell of jet fuel, she said. Within a few minutes, they saw police officers arrive by the water, followed by helicopters and boats in the river.

An American Airlines plane is parked at a gate at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, Wednesday, Jan. 29, 2025, in Arlington, Va. Mark Schiefelbein/Associated Press

NTSB team is heading to the crash site — 12:44 a.m.

By the Associated Press

A team from the National Transportation Safety Board, which investigates aviation crashes, would arrive at the crash site overnight, the agency said.

A member of the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) stands by a door at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, Wednesday, Jan. 29, 2025, in Arlington, Va. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)Julio Cortez/Associated Press

Trump says collision ‘looks like it should have been prevented’ — 12:34 a.m.

By the Associated Press

In a post on Truth Social, Trump questioned the tactics of the military helicopter and the air traffic controllers — both agencies that report to him as the president.

Writing that the “airplane was on a perfect and routine line of approach for an extended period of time” on a “CLEAR NIGHT,” Trump questioned, “why didn’t the helicopter go up or down or turn,” and “why didn’t the control tower tell the helicopter what to do instead of asking if they saw the plane.”

“What a terrible night this has been. God Bless you all!” he added in a subsequent post.


Boat crews deploy on the Potomac to continue search and rescue — 12:33 a.m.

By the Associated Press

Fresh boat crews deployed on the river around midnight to continue the search into Thursday.

Passengers held on other planes on the tarmac were finally allowed to disembark around the same time, retrieving their luggage hours after landing.

Boats work the scene on the Potomac River near Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, Wednesday, Jan. 29, 2025, in Arlington, Va. Julio Cortez/Associated Press

Air traffic controllers told the helicopter to pass behind the jet seconds before the collision, recording shows — 12:29 a.m.

By the Associated Press

Less than 30 seconds before the collision, air traffic recordings show controllers asking the helicopter if it has the plane in sight and instructing it to pass behind the landing aircraft.

A crew member on the helicopter replies that “the aircraft is in sight” and requests “visual separation” with the incoming plane, allowing it to fly closer than may otherwise be allowed if the pilots didn’t see the plane. The controllers approved the request.

About 20 seconds later, a commotion is heard on the audio, and seconds after that, controllers begin diverting aircraft away from the disaster scene.


DC public transit expands services to assist travelers — 12:24 a.m.

By the Associated Press

On its social media channels, the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority said it has extended rail service on its silver line from Dulles Airport, where some flights were diverted following the collision near Reagan National Airport.

Officials also said buses would be available at Metro Center, a major downtown metro rail hub, to then ferry travelers back to Reagan National if their cars were parked there.


Press briefing upcoming on midair collision — 12:22 a.m.

By the Associated Press

Authorities are expected to give a media briefing at 12:30 a.m. Thursday at Reagan National Airport.

This would be the first formal briefing since the collision near the airport adjacent to Washington.


American Airlines introduced the flight from Kansas to Washington Reagan National Airport a year ago — 12:21 a.m.

By the Associated Press

American Airlines introduced the nonstop flight from Dwight D. Eisenhower National Airport in Wichita, Kansas, to Washington Reagan National Airport about one year ago, taking the inaugural flight in January 2024, according to The Wichita Eagle.

Law enforcement vehicles are parked at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, Wednesday, Jan. 29, 2025, in Arlington, Va. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)Julio Cortez/Associated Press

AP source reports multiple casualties — 12:17 a.m.

By the Associated Press

There were multiple fatalities after the midair collision, a person familiar with the matter told The Associated Press. The person was not authorized to publicly discuss details of the investigation and spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity.

Authorities are still conducting a search-and-rescue operation in an attempt to find survivors in the water and around the crash site.


Wichita Airport invites family and friends of passengers on jet to wait with support team — 12:15 a.m.

By the Associated Press

The jet’s passengers’ family and friends in Wichita were invited to wait for additional information with an incident support team at Wichita Airport, the Kansas city airport posted on X.

“We are waiting for details about the crash in DC and will provide updates as information becomes available,” the post read.


An investigation has been launched, defense secretary says — 12:12 a.m.

By the Associated Press

In a post on X, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said an investigation has been “launched immediately” by the Army and the Defense Department.


American Airlines CEO expresses ‘deep sorrow’ about collision — 12:05 a.m.

By the Associated Press

In a video posted to the airline’s website, CEO Robert Isom confirmed the details of the aircraft.

Isom said the airline was coordinating with local, state and federal authorities and “cooperating fully” with the NTSB investigation.

“Anything we can do, we are doing,” Isom said, noting that American was sending a team to Washington and that he would be traveling there also.


Army helicopter was from the 12th Aviation Battalion at Fort Belvoir, official says — 11:53 p.m.

By the Associated Press

Heather Chairez, spokesperson for the Joint Task Force-National Capitol Region, said the Army helicopter was from the 12th Aviation Battalion at Fort Belvoir and was on a training flight.

Military aircraft frequently conduct training flights in and around the congested and heavily restricted airspace around the nation’s capital for familiarization and continuity of government planning.


First responders light up the Potomac River— 11:50 p.m.

By the Associated Press

First responders have set up multiple light towers from the shore to illuminate the Potomac River near the site of the collision. At least a half-dozen boats are scanning the water using search lights.


Army helicopter that collided with passenger jet near DC’s Reagan National Airport was on training flight, official says — 11:49 p.m.


Witness describes airport announcement and seeing emergency vehicles — 11:48 p.m.

By the Associated Press

Erie County Executive Mark Poloncarz was waiting to catch his flight back to Buffalo, New York, when he saw through the terminal window some emergency vehicles moving out below.

“It didn’t seem anything too strange at that point,” Poloncarz said. “And then about a minute or so after that, there was an announcement of a full-ground stop, that there would be no flights landing and no flights taking off. And then we started to see a lot of emergency vehicles heading towards the river.”

Poloncarz and others soon saw reports on social media of a plane crash, while rumors began to swirl.

“When flights get delayed, people get aggravated and upset. But there was no one getting aggravated or upset because I think we all realized pretty quickly the magnitude of what occurred,” he said. “The terminal grew pretty quiet. There was a lot of sadness.”

People walk through the virtually empty Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, Wednesday, Jan. 29, 2025, in Arlington, Va. Julio Cortez/Associated Press

House Speaker Mike Johnson calls collision a ‘horrific tragedy’ — 11:34 p.m.

By the Associated Press

“I’m deeply saddened to learn about the horrific tragedy at Reagan National Airport,” he wrote on X. “Please join me in praying for everyone involved as well as our first responders.”


Vice President JD Vance urges people to pray for those involved in the collision — 11:29 p.m.

By the Associated Press

“Please say a prayer for everyone involved in the mid-air collision near Reagan airport this evening,” he wrote on X. “We’re monitoring the situation, but for now let’s hope for the best.”


Maryland governor says his state is helping with airport response — 11:09 p.m.

By the Associated Press

In a post on X, Governor Wes Moore said Maryland authorities were helping in the response efforts at the Virginia airport.

Moore said the Maryland State Police had “deployed divers to the scene to assist with rescue missions,” noting that Baltimore/Washington International Airport was experiencing “no operational restrictions.”


American Airlines says 60 passengers and 4 crew members were on the jet — 11:07 p.m.

By the Associated Press

In a statement, the airline enumerated the number of people on the flight that had been “involved in an accident at DCA.”

American Airlines also listed phone numbers available for people to call if they thought they had friends or family on the plane.


Flight tracking audio shows no response from helicopter after air traffic control warning — 11:03 p.m.

By the Associated Press

Less than 30 seconds before the crash, an air traffic controller asks the helicopter if it has the arriving plane in sight: “PAT25, do you have the CRJ in sight?”

The controller makes another radio call to PAT25 moments later: “PAT 25 pass behind the CRJ.”

The two aircraft collide seconds later.

The audio from flight tracking sites doesn’t record any response from the helicopter, if any, to the warnings from air traffic control.

The plane’s radio transponder stopped transmitting about 2,400 feet (730 meters) short of the runway, roughly over the middle of the river.


Crash took place in tightly controlled airspace — 10:42 p.m.

By the Associated Press

The crash occurred in some of the most tightly controlled and monitored airspace in the world, just over 3 miles (4.8 kilometers) south of the White House and the Capitol.


The arriving jet asked to switch runways shortly before the crash — 10:37 p.m.

By the Associated Press

A few minutes before landing, air traffic controllers asked the arriving commercial jet if it could land on the shorter Runway 33 at Reagan National Airport and the pilots said they were able.

Controllers then cleared the plane to land on Runway 33. Flight tracking sites showed the plane adjust its approach to and at the new runway.


Details on the passenger jet — 10:32 p.m.

By the Associated Press

American Airlines flight 5342 was inbound to Reagan National at an altitude of about 400 feet and a speed of about 140 miles per hour when it suffered a rapid loss of altitude over the Potomac River, according to data from its radio transponder.

The Canadian-made Bombardier CRJ-701 twin-engine jet was manufactured in 2004 and can be configured to carry up to 70 passengers.


Trump is briefed on the crash — 10:30 p.m.

By the Associated Press

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt says Trump has been briefed on the crash.


‘Tower, did you see that?’ — 10:27 p.m.

By the Associated Press

In audio from the air traffic control tower around the time of the crash, a controller is heard asking the helicopter, “PAT25 do you have the CRJ in sight,” in reference to the passenger aircraft.

“Tower, did you see that?” another pilot is heard calling seconds after the apparent collision.”

The tower immediately began diverting other aircraft from Reagan.


Helicopter that collided with passenger jet near Reagan Washington National Airport was flown by Army, AP source says — 10:21 p.m.


Search and rescue efforts are underway — 10:19 p.m.

By the Associated Press

Multiple helicopters, including those from the US Park Police and the D.C. Metropolitan Police Department and US military, were flying over the scene of the incident in the Potomac River. D.C. Fire and EMS said on X that fireboats were on the scene.

Washington, D.C., police said on the social platform X that multiple agencies are conducting a search and rescue effort in the Potomac River after an aircraft crash.

Video from an observation camera at the nearby Kennedy Center shows two sets of lights consistent with aircraft appearing to join in a fireball.


A passenger jet has collided with a helicopter while landing at Reagan Washington National Airport, FAA says — 10:19 p.m.

By the Associated Press

A passenger jet has collided with a helicopter while landing at Ronald Reagan National Airport near Washington. That’s according to the Federal Aviation Administration, which says the collision remains under investigation.

There was no immediate word on casualties, but all takeoffs and landings from the airport near Washington have been halted.

All takeoffs and landings have been halted, according to the airport and law enforcement.

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Copter pilot likely at fault for Washington collision, MIT aviation expert says
10:55 a.m.
Skaters will ‘come together and grieve together,’ skating club executive director says
10:54 a.m.
Coast Guard boat crews are helping search the icy waters of the Potomac River
10:53 a.m.
Reagan Airport set to resume flight operations at 11 a.m.
10:49 a.m.
Tragedy has struck the Skating Club of Boston before
10:47 a.m.
Nominee to lead the Army questions training near Reagan National Airport
10:42 a.m.
At Reagan National Airport after the collision
10:33 a.m.
RI Senator Reed mourns victims of plane crash
10:31 a.m.
‘Extremely promising skaters’ on the plane
10:30 a.m.
Virginia senator says families of plane collision victims are still being notified
10:29 a.m.
Local skaters killed in crash: Who were Spencer Lane and Jinna Han?
10:26 a.m.
Relatives of Mass.-based victims of crash headed to Washington D.C.
10:23 a.m.
Who were the Boston-area coaches killed?
10:22 a.m.
Video shows D.C. plane crash involving American Airlines flight, Black Hawk helicopter
10:21 a.m.
GOP committee chairman takes a moment to honor plane collision victims at confirmation hearing
10:17 a.m.
Trump sent a message for the victims of the collision and thanked first responders
10:10 a.m.
First responders continue their search for victims
10:05 a.m.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth gives more details in a video posted on X
9:58 a.m.
President Trump scheduled to speak about the collision at 11 a.m. from the White House briefing room
9:56 a.m.
See the path of the American Airlines flight
9:54 a.m.
It isn’t the first time figure skating has suffered a devastating blow in a plane crash
9:50 a.m.
Washington, DC, Mayor Muriel Bowser says she expects Reagan National Airport to reopen for flights at 11 a.m.
9:47 a.m.
‘Horrific tragedy:’ Skating Club of Boston director on local victims
9:40 a.m.
Figure skating community in shock after DC plane crash claims lives of coaches, athletes
9:35 a.m.
Zeghibe says those killed included teenagers, parents and coaches
9:32 a.m.
Six members or associates from the Skating Club of Boston were killed in the plane crash
9:24 a.m.
US Representative Ron Estes of Kansas: Information from federal investigations likely will be slow to come out
9:23 a.m.
LISTEN: Audio from air traffic control before and after collision happened
9:18 a.m.
The Federal Aviation Administration is investigating the crash
9:17 a.m.
Wichita mayor says the city will have additional resources, especially for affected staff
9:10 a.m.
The Wichita airport remains open and air traffic there continues
9:07 a.m.
Wichita mayor: ‘This is a terrible tragedy that will unite those in Washington, DC; and Wichita, Kansas, forever’
8:45 a.m.
What’s known about what may have caused the crash
8:36 a.m.
The search for loved ones after the crash
8:11 a.m.
Duffy was asked about Trump suggesting in an overnight post the collision could have been prevented
8:09 a.m.
Duffy says the night was clear and operations were standard up until the collision
8:01 a.m.
Duffy says US has ‘safest airspace in the world’
7:55 a.m.
Airport to reopen at 11 a.m.
7:53 a.m.
27 bodies recovered from American Airlines jet
7:42 a.m.
Transportation secretary says weather was ‘clear’
7:38 a.m.
DC Mayor expresses grief after plane crash
7:18 a.m.
Families anxious for news of loved ones on the AA flight
6:58 a.m.
A look at fatal commercial plane crashes in recent US history
6:37 a.m.
The scene from across Ronald Reagan National Airport
5:54 a.m.
Kremlin confirms former champion Russian skaters were onboard the plane
5:20 a.m.
Rescuers search in near freezing water for survivors
5:11 a.m.
Global figure skating community ‘heartbroken’
4:54 a.m.
Group of figure skaters and coaches were on the jet
1:25 a.m.
Officials offer few details on victims as they conclude press briefing
1:16 a.m.
Officials didn’t announce deaths but had a somber tone at press briefing
1:08 a.m.
Senator Jerry Moran says the crash is ‘a very personal circumstance’
1:05 a.m.
A media briefing on the collision is underway
1:04 a.m.
About 300 responders are working on the rescue, fire and EMS chief says
12:49 a.m.
Witness living near the Potomac River says she heard 2 booms and smelled jet fuel
12:44 a.m.
NTSB team is heading to the crash site
12:34 a.m.
Trump says collision ‘looks like it should have been prevented’
12:33 a.m.
Boat crews deploy on the Potomac to continue search and rescue
12:29 a.m.
Air traffic controllers told the helicopter to pass behind the jet seconds before the collision, recording shows
12:24 a.m.
DC public transit expands services to assist travelers
12:22 a.m.
Press briefing upcoming on midair collision
12:21 a.m.
American Airlines introduced the flight from Kansas to Washington Reagan National Airport a year ago
12:17 a.m.
AP source reports multiple casualties
12:15 a.m.
Wichita Airport invites family and friends of passengers on jet to wait with support team
12:12 a.m.
An investigation has been launched, defense secretary says
12:05 a.m.
American Airlines CEO expresses ‘deep sorrow’ about collision
11:53 p.m.
Army helicopter was from the 12th Aviation Battalion at Fort Belvoir, official says
11:50 p.m.
First responders light up the Potomac River—
11:49 p.m.
Army helicopter that collided with passenger jet near DC’s Reagan National Airport was on training flight, official says
11:48 p.m.
Witness describes airport announcement and seeing emergency vehicles
11:34 p.m.
House Speaker Mike Johnson calls collision a ‘horrific tragedy’
11:29 p.m.
Vice President JD Vance urges people to pray for those involved in the collision
11:09 p.m.
Maryland governor says his state is helping with airport response
11:07 p.m.
American Airlines says 60 passengers and 4 crew members were on the jet
11:03 p.m.
Flight tracking audio shows no response from helicopter after air traffic control warning
10:42 p.m.
Crash took place in tightly controlled airspace
10:37 p.m.
The arriving jet asked to switch runways shortly before the crash
10:32 p.m.
Details on the passenger jet
10:30 p.m.
Trump is briefed on the crash
10:27 p.m.
‘Tower, did you see that?’
10:21 p.m.
Helicopter that collided with passenger jet near Reagan Washington National Airport was flown by Army, AP source says
10:19 p.m.
Search and rescue efforts are underway
10:19 p.m.
A passenger jet has collided with a helicopter while landing at Reagan Washington National Airport, FAA says