11:27am (GMT), Friday January 31st – A number of people onboard American Airlines flight 5342 and the black hawk military helicopter that collided with it have been named.
Reports of US and Russian figure skaters being onboard the aircraft have now been confirmed as they have been identified:
- Spencer Lane (16) – Skater, described as a “force of nature” in the sport.
- Christine Lane – Spencer Lane’s mother, also on the flight.
- Jinna Han (13) – Skater, tragically lost along with her mother.
- Jin Han – Jinna Han’s mother, on board with her daughter.
- Evgenia Shishkova – Russian ice skating coach.
- Vadim Naumov – Russian ice skating coach, husband of Evgenia.
- Max Naumov (24) – Their son, also involved in figure skating.
- Cory Haynos – Skater returning from US Ice Skating Championships.
- Roger Haynos – Cory’s father, also on the flight.
- Stephanie Branton Haynos – Cory’s mother.
- Inna Volyanskaya – Former Soviet Union figure skater.
Other passengers onboard the flight have also been identified as well as the crew:
- Kiah Duggins – Professor at Howard University.
- Sarah Lee Best (33) – Lawyer, lost her life on her birthday.
- Elizabeth Keys (33) – Lawyer, passed away on her birthday.
- Casey Crafton – “Dedicated father” from Salem, Connecticut.
- Asra Hussain Raza (26) – Recently moved to Washington DC after earning a master’s degree in hospital management.
- Michael Stovall – Returning home from an annual hunting trip with friends.
- Jesse Pitcher – Also on the hunting trip, recently married.
- Colonel Pergentino Malabed – Confirmed by the Philippine National Police as a passenger.
- Two unnamed Chinese nationals – Confirmed by China’s foreign ministry as passengers.
- Matthew Alan LaRavier – Cousin of Roger Haynos, posted a tribute on social media.
Crew of the American Airlines Flight:
- Jonathan Campos – Captain of the American Airlines flight.
- Sam Lilley – Second pilot, confirmed by his father.
- Ian Epstein – Flight attendant, known for his positive personality.
- Danasia Elder – Flight attendant, remembered by her family as “full of life.”
Two of the three personnel on the military aircraft have also been named.
- Andrew Eaves – Pilot of the Black Hawk helicopter, confirmed by his wife.
- Ryan O’Hara (29) – Crew chief of the Black Hawk helicopter, confirmed by ROTC.
- Unknown third person – The third individual aboard the helicopter has not been identified yet.
9:45 (GMT), Friday January 31st – ‘Black Box’ cockpit voice and flight recordings recovered from wreckage
Two “black boxes” have been recovered from the wreckage of an American Airlines regional jet that collided with a U.S. Army Black Hawk helicopter over Washington, D.C., on Wednesday evening.
The cockpit voice recorder and flight data recorder are now undergoing lab analysis by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), which has pledged to investigate thoroughly.
All 67 people on board—the 64 passengers and crew of Flight 5342 from Wichita, Kansas, and three soldiers in the helicopter—are presumed dead.
A preliminary report from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) revealed that staffing at the Ronald Reagan National Airport air traffic control tower was “not normal.” One controller was managing tasks typically assigned to two people, including communications with both landing aircraft and helicopters in the vicinity, raising concerns about operational safety.
President Donald Trump linked the crash to FAA policies under the Biden administration, although no evidence has been provided to support this claim. Recovery efforts continue as emergency teams have located 28 bodies so far, with a full investigation expected to take at least 30 days before a preliminary report is released.
This tragic incident marks the deadliest aviation accident in the U.S. since 2001.
16:45 (GMT), Thursday January 30th – US officials have said there are no survivors following American Airlines Flight 5342 collision with a military helicopter last night.
Ronald Regan Washington National Airport has now reopened and the first flights have landed and taken off in the capital.
The press gathered at The White House to listen to the President’s remarks on the crash.
He began with a moments silence for the victims of the crash.
Trump said: “We will find out how this disaster occurred and ensure nothing like this ever happens again”
He also confirmed reports saying: “We have a Russian contingence on the passenger plane.”
Trump spoke on policies as he accused his predecessors Democrat party of putting diversity over the best people to do the job, leading to the incident “I put safety first. Obama, Biden and the Democrats put policy first.
“My administration will set the highest possible bar for aviation safety.”
He said “You could have done a million different manoeuvres, but for some reason it just kept going.”
It shouldn’t have been at the same height.”
US media has reported that training more air traffic control officers has been a big discussion in recent years, with people reporting aircrafts coming “too close for comfort.”
Washington DC is a very busy airspace and it is not uncommon for military aircraft to fly close to commercial airlines.
As the airport slowly returns to normality, Donald Trump is still answering journalists questions.
BUzz News will keep a close eye on updates.
09:00 (GMT), Thursday January 30th – A jet carrying 64 passengers collided with a US Army helicopter mid-air.
Currently, 19 bodies have been recovered from the Potomac River. Searches continue from the search crews in the freezing water.
Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport has grounded all of it’s flights, as authorities proceed to investigate the incident.
American Airlines 5324 flight collided mid-air with a US Army Helicopter at around 15:00 local time on Wednesday. According to Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), the crash happened while the passenger jet was on approach to Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport.
The flight carrying 60 passengers and 4 crew members departed from Wichita, Kansas.
The aircraft was a Bombardier CRJ 700 jet.
The US Army helicopter involved was a Sikorsky H-60, which departed from Fort Belvoir in Virginia.
The Pentagon announced there were three US Soldier on board.
Washington DC Mayor Muriel Bowser said. Another official said it was on a training flight, and it belonged to B Company, 12th Aviation Battalion from Fort Belvoir in Virginia.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) announced that it would conduct an investigation into the incident in collaboration with the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB).
During the press conference in Washington DC , officials have rejected to confirm the casualties.
Washington DC Fire and Emergency Services Chief John Donnelly said there are around 300 responders which have been deployed on rubber boats in the rescue operation.
There are challenges in the rescue operation, high wind speeds and ice on the river is causing for the operation to be challenging.
Initial reports from United States media indicated that the passenger aircraft appeared to be severed in two on the Potomac River, while the helicopter was found inverted in the water.
The US Figure Skating announced couple of their members were on the flight, athletes, coaches and members were returning to Kansas from a development camp.
President Donald Trump stated that he had received comprehensive updates regarding the “tragic incident” and that he was keeping a close watch on the developments.
On his TruthSocial account, he has expressed concerns regarding the circumstances surrounding the incident, stating: “This is a troubling situation that appears to have been avoidable. NOT GOOD!!!”
Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth and Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, whose recent confirmations have taken place, also indicated that they are keeping a close watch on the situation.
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