Part of the wreckage is seen as rescue boats search the waters of the Potomac River after a plane on approach to Reagan National Airport crashed into the river outside Washington, DC, January 30, 2025. A regional jet from Kansas crashed into Washington’s Potomac River after colliding mid-air with a military helicopter near Reagan National Airport, officials said January 29, prompting a major emergency response and grounding all flights.
| Photo Credit: AFP
An American Airlines jet with 60 passengers and four crew members aboard collided Wednesday (January 29, 2025) with an Army helicopter while coming in for a landing at Ronald Reagan National Airport near Washington and multiple people were killed.
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Fatal crashes of commercial aircraft in the U.S. have become a rarity. The last was in 2009 near Buffalo, New York. All 45 passengers and the four crew members were killed when the Bombardier DHC-8 propeller plane crashed into a house. One person on the ground also was killed.
The collision Wednesday of the Bombardier CRJ-701 twin-engine plane and UH-60 Blackhawk occurred over the Potomac River and the aircraft fell into the water. In 1982 an Air Florida flight crashed into the Potomac and killed 78.
Here are some of the deadliest commercial plane crashes in the U.S
Feb 12, 2009: A Colgan Air plane crashed near Buffalo, New York, killing everyone aboard the Bombardier DHC-8 propeller plane, including 45 passengers, two pilots and two flight attendants. Another person on the ground also died, bringing the total death toll to 50.
Firefighters look over the wreckage of Continental flight 3407 which lies amid smoke at the scene after crashing into a suburban Buffalo home and erupting into flames on Feb. 12, 2009.
| Photo Credit:
AP
Aug 27, 2006: A Comair aircraft crashed when taking off in Lexington, Kentucky, after it left from the wrong runway and ran off the end. Two crew members and 47 passengers were killed.
Nov 12, 2001: Just after takeoff, an American Airlines flight crashed into a residential area of Belle Harbor, New York. All 260 people aboard the plane were killed.
Sept 11, 2001: Nearly 3,000 people were killed as 19 al-Qaida hijackers seized control of four jetliners, sending two of the planes into New York’s World Trade Center, a third into the Pentagon in Arlington, Virginia, and the fourth into a field in western Pennsylvania. It remains the deadliest terror attack in history.
Four commercial airliners were hijacked killing nearly 3,000 people.
| Photo Credit:
REUTERS
Jan 31, 2000: An Alaska Airlines flight crashed into the Pacific Ocean near Anacapa Island, California. The crash killed 83 passengers and five crew members.
July 17, 1996: A Trans World Airlines flight crashed in the Atlantic Ocean near East Moriches, New York, on its way to Paris, France. All 230 people on board were killed, and the airplane was destroyed.
May 11, 1996: A Valujet Airlines flight crashed into the Everglades about 10 minutes after takeoff from the Miami International Airport. The crash killed all 105 passengers and five crew members.
ValuJet employees gather in support of their company outside the White House as a House subcommittee held Hearings on the airline’s recent plane crash. ValuJet’s president said the airline’s low fares did not reflect on quality.
| Photo Credit:
Archives
Oct 31, 1994: An American Eagle flight in Roselawn, Indiana, crashed, killing 64 passengers and four crew members.
Sept 8, 1994: A USAir flight crashed while attempting to land in Pittsburgh. It killed 127 passengers and five crew members. The airplane was destroyed by the impact and fire.
July 19, 1989: A United Airlines flight experienced an engine failure and crashed while attempting to land in Sioux City, Iowa, killing 110 passengers and one crew member.
Aug 16, 1987: A Northwest Airlines flight crashed just after taking off in Romulus, Michigan, striking light poles, a rental car facility and the ground. The crash killed 148 passengers and six crew members.
Aug 2, 1985: A Delta Airlines flight crashed when approaching to land at the Dallas Fort Worth International Airport during a thunderstorm. It struck a car and two water tanks, and killed 134 passengers and crew members.
July 9, 1982: A Pan American World Airways flight crashed just after takeoff near New Orleans, Louisiana, and collided with trees and houses, killing 145 people onboard.
Jan 13, 1982: An Air Florida flight plummeted into the Potomac, killing 70 passengers and four crew members. That crash was attributed to bad weather.
Published – January 30, 2025 03:41 pm IST
