67 Dead in American Airlines Plane Crash: ‘May God Bless Their Souls’
More than 60 passengers and crew members are reported dead after an American Airlines regional airplane collided with a military helicopter in Washington, D.C., Wednesday night, plunging both craft into the frigid Potomac River.
"We're praying," said U.S. Sen. Jerry Moran (Kan.).
The tragedy involved a regional plane, American Airlines Flight 5342, that was carrying 60 passengers and four crew members as it approached Reagan National Airport (DCA) for landing en route from Wichita, Kan. (ICT). Law enforcement said it collided with a Black Hawk helicopter carrying three passengers on a training mission. The plane was a Bombardier CRJ700. All 67 are dead.
President Trump on Thursday said everyone on board perished.
“There are no survivors,” Trump said. “This was a dark and excruciating night in our nation’s capital and our nation’s history.”
Some 300 rescuers combed the river Wednesday night and Thursday morning, searching for survivors. None were found.
“We are in mourning,” Trump said.
U.S Figure Skating said members of its community were on board.
"When one person dies, it's a tragedy, but when many, many, many people die, it's an unbearable sorrow. It's a heartbreak beyond measure," U.S. Sen. Roger Marshall of Kansas said at a late-night news conference.
"I want the folks back home to just know that we care, that we love them, and that this is a time when we'll have to join arms together and help each other out," Marshall added.
It was the first deadly plane crash involving a U.S.-based airline since 2009, when Colgan Air Flight 3407 crashed in Buffalo, N.Y., killing all 49 passengers and crew members on board. That craft was a Bombardier Q400. Investigators blamed it on pilot error and fatigue.
The safety streak of 16 years was the longest in U.S. aviation history.
"We've been through things like this before, through tornadoes and floods and things, but it's really hard when you lose probably over 60 Kansans simultaneously," Marshall said.
The American Airlines plane had been scheduled to land at 8:55 p.m. local time. Videos circulating on social media captured the mid-air collision.
Webcam at the Kennedy Center caught an explosion mid-air across the Potomac. https://t.co/v75sxitpH6 pic.twitter.com/HInYdhBYs5
— Alejandro Alvarez (@aletweetsnews) January 30, 2025
President Trump addressed the incident in a late-night statement.
"I have been fully briefed on the terrible accident which just took place at Reagan National Airport," Trump said. "May God bless their souls. 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."
The 2009 crash led to stricter regulations on pilot training and rest requirements, setting new safety standards. Wednesday's crash, no doubt, will also lead to changes in airline safety. Experts within the industry often say airline rules are "written in blood," meaning that each crash prompts a thorough investigation and sparks reforms to address the causes and enhance safety measures.
Marshall cited Scripture.
"Often in times like this, I try to find a Scripture that is appropriate, and this is from the book of Psalms," Marshall said at the news conference. "It says, 'The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.' Certainly, we're crushed in spirit tonight. We mourn with the families who lost loved ones, and we truly are joining them in prayer and wrapping our arms around them in love and compassion."
Related Article: A Prayer for Those Grieving the Washington, D.C. Crash
Photo Credit: ©Getty Images/Andrew Harnik/Staff
Michael Foust has covered the intersection of faith and news for 20 years. His stories have appeared in Baptist Press, Christianity Today, The Christian Post, the Leaf-Chronicle, the Toronto Star and the Knoxville News-Sentinel.
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Originally published January 30, 2025.
