On January 29, at 8:47 p.m. ET, a PSA Airlines aircraft, Flight 5342, collided mid-air with a Black Hawk helicopter carrying three US soldiers on a training mission. The crash occurred as the plane, en route from Wichita to Washington, D.C., was approaching Ronald Reagan National Airport.
Despite the desperate efforts of the plane’s pilot, Jonathan Campos, and co-pilot Samuel Lilley, who raced toward the helicopter at 140 mph, no survivors were found. The debris fell into the Potomac River, marking the deadliest U.S. aviation accident since 2001. Investigations revealed discrepancies between the control tower’s and flight recorder’s altitude readings, and ongoing inquiries aim to determine the cause.
