WAPO: What we know about the plane and military helicopter crash in D.C.

By Kelly Kasulis Cho,

Helier Cheung and Tobi Raji WAPO


An American Airlines plane and an Army Black Hawk helicopter collided in midair near Reagan National Airport on Wednesday night. Both aircraft crashed into the Potomac River in Washington. Police had pulled 28 bodies from the water as of Thursday morning, according to officials, who believe all passengers and crew aboard the airplane were killed. National Airport reopened to air traffic Thursday morning.

Here’s what we know about the crash so far.

The crash:
American Airlines said 60 passengers and four crew members were aboard American Eagle Flight 5342 from Wichita. The flight — a Bombardier CRJ700 regional jet operated by American Airlines subsidiary PSA Airlines — was set to land in Washington at 8:57 p.m., according to aircraft tracker FlightAware. All are believed to have died in the crash.


The plane and an Army UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter that was on a training flight collided at 8:47 p.m., according to publicly available flight-tracking data. The helicopter was from the 12th Aviation Battalion at Fort Belvoir in Virginia, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said in a video posted Thursday morning.

The military helicopter was found upside down in the water and the plane had broken into pieces, according to a D.C. official who spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly.
Weather around the time of the incident was not out of the ordinary. National Airport reported clear skies, visibility of 10 miles and winds sustained from the northwest at 16 mph, gusting to 26 mph. The temperature was 50 degrees.

The victims
About 20 members of the U.S. Figure Skating community were aboard the American Airlines jet, according to a person professionally involved in the sport who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss a sensitive matter. Athletes, coaches and family members were returning home from the National Development Camp held in conjunction with the U.S. Figure Skating Championships in Wichita.

Four D.C.-area steamfitters were also aboard the jet, the United Association of Union Plumbers, Pipefitters and Steamfitters Local 602 said in a statement Thursday morning. The four were members of Steamfitters Local 602 — a Prince George’s County, Maryland-based union that represents steamfitters and pipe fitters in the D.C. area.

The Association of Flight Attendants, which represents cabin crews at PSA Airlines, said in a statement that two flight attendants were on board the plane.
The military is withholding the identities of the soldiers aboard the helicopter because it has not yet notified all surviving family members, Hegseth said Thursday morning, describing the crew as “fairly experienced.” No senior U.S. leaders were aboard the Black Hawk, two defense officials said, speaking on the condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the matter

Recovery and investigation efforts

The National Transportation Safety Board is leading an investigation into the incident, with help from the Federal Aviation Administration. On Thursday, President Donald Trump tapped Chris Rocheleau, chief operating officer of the National Business Aviation Association, as the FAA’s acting administrator.
All passengers and crew aboard the plane are presumed dead, officials said. Police had pulled 28 bodies from the water, Donnelly said Thursday morning: 27 from the plane and one from the helicopter.
The Army unit involved in the training flight — the 12th Aviation Battalion at Fort Belvoir in Virginia — has paused operations for 48 hours, Hegseth said. The Defense Department is investigating the incident.

The Coast Guard, Maryland State Police, Metro Transit Police and Maryland Department of Natural Resources have been deployed to the scene. Dive teams from Prince George’s County have also pitched in. D.C. Fire and EMS Chief John A. Donnelly Sr. said he expects operations at the crash site to continue for days, and that the weather is “extrmely rough for the responders.”
The temperature hovered 50 degrees Thursday during the day with light winds — a stark change from Wednesday, when it reached 64 degrees with blustery winds. Water temperatures in the Potomac are in the mid-30s.

Crews found debris as far south as the Woodrow Wilson Bridge, about a mile from the crash, Donnelly said Thursday morning. Nearby National Harbor has been closed to assist search and recovery efforts, acting Prince George’s County Executive Tara Jackson said Thursday morning in a post on X.
Transportation Secretary Sean P. Duffy said Thursday morning that “everything was standard in the lead-up to the crash” but “obviously, something happened here” to cause the plane and helicopter to collide. “Something went wrong here,” he said, adding that he hopes to release more information later. “Do I think this was preventable? Absolutely,” he added.

During a news conference Thursday, Trump first pinned the deadly collision on air traffic control, saying “the warnings were given very very late” and that “it should have been brought up earlier.” He also said without evidence that diversity hiring “could have” cause the crash. The president also criticized those in the Black Hawk helicopter: “The people in the helicopter should have seen where they were going,” he said. “I can’t imagine people with 20-20 vision not seeing what’s happening up there.”
Direct flights from Wichita to National Airport started just over a year ago, according to Jesse Romo, the director of airports for the Wichita Airport Authority.
The crash follows a string of close calls at National and other airports, beginning in early 2023, that alarmed officials and the airline industry. It is likely to renew debate over safety and whether the airport is at capacity.

Airline information.

In a video message, American Airlines CEO Robert Isom said that the company has set up a helpline for people who think friends or family members might have been on board the flight.
The airline said those who think they might have had loved ones on the flight should call American Airlines at 800-679-8215. Individuals calling from outside the United States can visit news.aa.com for additional phone numbers. Family members in Canada, Puerto Rico or the U.S. Virgin Islands can call 800-679-8215 directly.
National Airport reopened to air traffic at 11 a.m. Thursday. The airport said all terminals are open and travelers should check with their airlines because some flights have been delayed or canceled.

Three B-21 Raiders now in flight testing.

According to information published on the X Account of AirPower 2.0 (MIL_STD), on December 31, 2024, the United States Air Force's next-generation stealth bomber, the B-21 Raider, is making significant progress in its development with three aircraft actively supporting the bomber's flight test campaign. Northrop Grumman, the defense contractor behind this cutting-edge platform, has announced key updates as part of the effort to validate the Raider’s capabilities.

The B-21 Raider’s are conducting a combination of flight and ground testing to ensure the program remains on track for future operational deployment. This milestone underscores the steady advancement of the B-21 program, which is regarded as a cornerstone of the U.S. Air Force's future long-range strike capabilities.

The B-21 Raider is a next-generation long-range strategic bomber designed to meet the evolving demands of modern warfare. It will replace aging platforms like the B-1 Lancer and B-2 Spirit, which have served as the backbone of the U.S. Air Force's bomber fleet for decades. The Raider embodies a host of cutting-edge technologies, making it the world’s first sixth-generation bomber. Its advanced stealth capabilities will allow it to penetrate heavily defended airspaces, while its open architecture design ensures it can seamlessly integrate emerging technologies over time. Equipped to carry both conventional and nuclear payloads, the B-21 is a critical component of the Pentagon's nuclear triad modernization efforts, ensuring the United States retains credible and adaptable deterrence capabilities in an increasingly complex global security environment.

Among its key features, the B-21 offers enhanced survivability, with stealth characteristics designed to evade advanced radar systems. It is being engineered with a modular open systems approach (MOSA), enabling rapid upgrades to avionics, sensors, and weapons systems, thus keeping it operationally relevant for decades. Its extended range and payload capacity will provide the Air Force with unmatched versatility, allowing it to conduct a variety of missions ranging from global strikes to intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR). Additionally, the B-21 will be capable of operating in high-threat environments and is expected to offer an unprecedented degree of reliability and maintainability compared to its predecessors.

Currently, the first B-21 Raider, known as T-1, is undergoing flight testing at Edwards Air Force Base (AFB). These tests are essential for evaluating the bomber’s aerodynamic performance, stealth capabilities, and advanced avionics systems in real-world conditions. Meanwhile, two additional B-21 aircraft are engaged in ground-based testing, including structural integrity tests and systems integration tests to ensure the compatibility and functionality of the onboard technologies and weapons delivery capabilities.

Looking ahead, the program is set to accelerate as three more B-21 Raiders are scheduled to join the flight test campaign in the near future. These additional aircraft will enable simultaneous testing across multiple domains, helping to validate the bomber's performance under diverse operational scenarios. This expansion reflects a methodical approach to addressing technical challenges while maintaining a schedule that aligns with the Air Force’s modernization objectives.

As the testing campaign continues, the program remains a focal point for the defense community, given its potential to redefine aerial warfare. The successful integration of new technologies into the B-21 will not only shape U.S. Air Force capabilities but also serve as a benchmark for future military aviation programs.

Trump announces America seeks to be at forefront of A.I. technology with "Operation Stargate"

On the second day of his presidency, Donald Trump announced billions of dollars worth of investment to build artificial intelligence infrastructure in the United States of America. Trump said that three big players in the private sector—OpenAI, Softbank, and Oracle—are planning a joint venture called Stargate.

President Trump was joined by OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, Softbank CEO Masayoshi Son, and Oracle CEO Larry Ellison. Trump said that Stargate will invest at least $500 billion into AI infrastructure in the US, creating over 100,000 American jobs almost immediately.


“This monumental undertaking is a strong vote of confidence in America’s future and leadership under this administration. This project ensures that the United States will remain the global leader in AI and technology, rather than letting competitors like China gain the edge,” Trump said.

The Stargate Project is essentially a new company that aims to invest $500 billion towards building advanced AI infrastructure in the US over the next four years. The initiative will invest $100 billion almost immediately. This ambitious project seeks to push American AI leadership, create hundreds of thousands of jobs, and provide significant global economic benefits.

The project backs US re-industrialization and enhances national security capabilities. Softbank, Oracle, OpenAI, and MGX are the key stakeholders, with Softbank handling the financial aspect and OpenAI overseeing the operations. Masayoshi Son will be the chairman, and the technology partners include Arm, Microsoft, NVIDIA, Oracle, and OpenAI.

When it comes to physical infrastructure, the construction has begun in Texas, with plans to expand to other locations in the US. Project Stargate aims to drive the development of artificial general intelligence (AGI). This project is a significant leap in AI’s progress.

Many details about the Stargate Project are still under wraps. OpenAI has posted a general outline on its official website; however, more information about this ambitious project is expected to be announced in the coming days.

NNSA completes B61-12 Life Extension Program

WASHINGTON – On December 18, 2024, the U.S. Department of Energy’s National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) completed the Last Production Unit (LPU) of the B61-12 Life Extension Program (LEP). The B61-12 is the latest modification to the B61 family of gravity bombs, which are deployed from U.S. Air Force and North Atlantic Treaty Organization bases. The B61 family of bombs has over 50 years of service, making it the oldest and most versatile weapon in the enduring U.S. nuclear weapon stockpile. The B61-12 LEP, which is critical to sustaining the Nation’s air delivered nuclear deterrent capability, extends the service life by at least 20 years through refurbishing, reusing, or replacing all the bomb’s nuclear and non-nuclear components.



“Completing the B61-12 on schedule is the latest example of what we’ve been saying for several years now: NNSA is delivering capabilities at the pace and scale needed by our Department of Defense partners and our deterrence requirements,” said Under Secretary of Energy for Nuclear Security and NNSA Administrator Jill Hruby.

This LEP, which began in 2008, will continue to assure its safety, security, and effectiveness and consolidated and replaced the -3, -4, -7, and -10 B61 variants. The B61-12 balances greater accuracy provided by the modern tail kit assembly with a substantial reduction in yield, with no overall change in military characteristics.

The Nuclear Security Enterprise, in close coordination with the U.S. Air Force, worked together to deliver the B61-12 LPU three years after achieving First Production Unit in November 2021 and 17 years after design and development activities first started. NNSA’s program managers and experts from Los Alamos National Laboratory, Sandia National Laboratories, the Pantex Plant, the Savanah River Site, the Y-12 National Security Complex, and the Kansas City National Security Campus worked in close collaboration with NNSA on the design, development, qualification, and component production.

“Completion of the last B61-12 testifies to the successful collaboration we’ve had with our U.S. Air Force and Department of Defense partners. The momentum built through B61-12 production and delivery will continue into delivery on the other six active weapons modernization programs and on additional programs that will become active in the coming years,” said Dr. Marvin Adams, Deputy Administrator for Defense Programs. “Achieving LPU in FY 2025 demonstrates our ability to execute, not only to our partners and stakeholders in DoD and Congress but also to our adversaries and allies. This demonstration is itself a contribution to deterrence and assurance.”

With production of the B61-12 LEP now complete, NNSA will transition to producing the B61-13 bomb, which will leverage the current, established production capabilities supporting the B61-12. FPU of the B61-13 is scheduled for FY 2026.

NNSA continues to pursue six additional warhead modernization programs while also modernizing the full suite of production manufacturing capabilities necessary to develop a more resilient Enterprise to meet evolving nuclear deterrence objectives.