Two videos obtained by CNN show new angles on Wednesday night’s midair collision above Washington DC. In the videos both aircraft can clearly be seen flying towards each other, then exploding and falling into the river after the fatal explosion. The cause of the crash remains under investigation.
Here is a roundup of key information known by midday Friday about Wednesday’s fatal midair collision near Washington’s Reagan National Airport between an American Airlines plane and an Army helicopter:
- The Federal Aviation Administration shut down the low-altitude helicopter corridor that was being used when the crash occurred, an official told CNN. The specialized route is for law enforcement, medevac, military, and government helicopters. FAA charts show helicopters must be below 200 feet above sea level.
- President Donald Trump said on Truth Social that the Black Hawk helicopter was “flying too high, by a lot.” It is unknown if he based this statement on official information or speculation. On Thursday, Trump blamed Democrats and DEI initiatives, without evidence.
- Trump’s latest post followed a report by The New York Times the helicopter might have been outside its flight plan, higher than it was supposed to be, and at least half a mile off course.
- “Was the Black Hawk too high? Was it on course? Right now, we don’t quite know,” Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said Friday.
- The Black Hawk’s recorder hasn’t been recovered. Two black boxes were found on the plane and were being analyzed, National Transportation Safety Board member J. Todd Inman said.
- Investigators are trying to determine if the helicopter’s crew was wearing night vision goggles.
- One air traffic controller was performing two jobs at the time of the collision, an air traffic control source told CNN. That is not necessarily uncommon, the president of the National Air Traffic Controllers Association said.
Meanwhile, more is being learned about the 64 people on the plane. Those confirmed dead include friends on an annual hunting trip, legal professionals, and at least six members of the figure skating community. Three crew members were on the helicopter.
- Hockey player Peter Livingston, his wife, Donna, and their figure-skating daughters Everly, 14, and Alydia, 11, were regulars at a northern Virginia ice skating facility. They were killed on their way home from Wichita, Kansas, where they participated in US Figure Skating Championship events.
- Kansas biology teacher Lindsey Fields was the president-elect of the National Association of Biology Teachers (NABT). She was on a business trip to Washington.
- Kiah Duggins, a civil rights attorney and Harvard Law School graduate, was returning home to the Washington area after visiting family in Wichita.
- Michael “Mikey” Stovall and Jesse Pitcher were traveling after an annual hunting trip to Kansas.
- Vikesh Patel was a GE Aerospace employee, the company said.
- Casey Crafton was a father of three from Salem, Connecticut.
- Olivia Ter was a 12-year-old figure skater.
- Skater Spencer Lane, 16, and his mother, Christine Lane, 49, had also been in Wichita.
Fourteen victims remained to be recovered as the search was suspended for the evening Thursday, according to a source familiar with the efforts.
Read more about some of the victims identified so far here.
