
An American Airlines regional passenger jet and a U.S. Army Black Hawk helicopter collided in midair and plunged into icy waters of the Potomac River outside Reagan Washington National Airport Wednesday night, officials said.
The Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk is a mainstay of US military aviation, with variants dedicated to air assault, general support, medical evacuation, command and control, and special operations. The helicopter that crashed on January 29 had the call sign PAT25 and was carrying three people, according to the Aviation Safety Network, a detailed database of aviation incidents. With over 5,000 units being built since its first flight in the mid-1970s, the Black Hawk is perhaps one of the most iconic military aircraft.
The Bombardier CRJ700 is among the most common regional commercial airplanes, usually carrying around 70 passengers. About 260 are flying today, according to aviation data analytics Cirium. The crashed jet, registered N530EA manufactured in 2010, had on board 60 passengers and four crew members.
The jet, though owned by American Airlines, was operated under its subsidiary company, PSA Airlines. Interestingly enough, Bombardier had to sell its CRJ700 aircraft program to Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, a subsidiary firm, back in 2019, thereby ending further production in the year 2020. Recovery efforts are currently in progress as authorities are trying to assess the situation and determine the circumstances surrounding this shocking incident.