What Happened to American Eagle Flight 5342 Airplane and U.S. Army Blackhawk Helicopter
Bombardier CRJ700 airplane
On Wednesday, January 29, 2025, at 8:47 p.m., American Eagle Flight 5342, a Bombardier CRJ700 airplane, operated by PSA Airlines, and a U.S. Army Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter collided over the Potomac River near Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport.
The American Eagle Bombardier CRJ700 passenger airplane carried 60 passengers and four crew members, while the Black Hawk carried three service members.
Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport is an extremely busy airport and contains 3 runways. American Eagle Flight 5342 was on a standard approach to runway 1, but air traffic control directed the flight to circle and land on runway 33. The Black Hawk helicopter was communicating with air traffic control as it transited the area along a low-level helicopter route over the Potomac River. Preliminary information indicates that the air traffic controller saw the two aircraft coming together and shortly before the collision communicated with the Black Hawk to fly behind Flight 5342. It does not appear, however, that air traffic control issued a safety alert. It will take time before all the factors that lead to this accident are uncovered.
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) and the Army
will investigate the accident. The NTSB will issue a preliminary report
in the coming two weeks that will set forth some basic facts concerning the
accident. The NTSB’s investigation, however, will take many months and it
may be more than a year before the NTSB schedules a public hearing and issues
its probable cause determination. The Army will coordinate with the NTSB
in investigating the accident.
The Kreindler firm is conducting its own investigation into the accident.
Our investigation will look into all facets, including
airspace design, air traffic control and staffing, and human factor elements,
including piloting. We are committed to ensuring that an accident of this
nature never occurs again.
In the Media
Kreindler attorneys have appeared on numerous news programs and publications to add their insight regarding this tragedy. Kreindler partner and veteran U.S. Army helicopter pilot Brian Alexander appeared on MSNBC to discuss the tragic crash.
The investigation will likely focus on the communications between air traffic control (ATC) and each aircraft as well as the altitude of each aircraft, the avionics including radar, along with the visual and perceptive cues available to the crew in the helicopter in particular.
This issue is shared responsibility between air traffic control and the pilots, but also the FAA in how they set up the airspace
Preliminary Investigation of the American Eagle CRJ700 Airplane and Blackhawk Helicopter Collision
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) will lead the investigation into the tragic collision. According to a CNN report, the pilots aboard American Eagle flight 5342 and the military pilots would have been familiar with navigating the busy airspace around Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport.Kreindler Attorney Articles
Partner Kevin Mahoney's article for the New York Law Journal on a series of recent near collisions involving passenger aircraft
Kreindler has literally written the book on aviation accident law. Our partners frequently author articles for the aviation and legal industries.
Kreindler’s Experience with Air Traffic Control and FAA Cases
Kreindler has a long history of successfully investigating and prosecuting Air Traffic Control (ATC) cases against the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). Kreindler’s partial list of cases that involved air traffic control failures includes:
2009 Hudson River mid-air collision, New York,
Piper Cherokee airplane crash, Prince George’s County, MD
Piper 425 Conquest airplane crash, Islip, NY
Piper Lance airplane crash, Great Smoky Mountains, TN
Cirrus SR20 airplane crash, Stewart International Airport, Newburgh, NY
Korean Airlines Flight 801 Boeing 747 airplane crash, Asan, Guam
Continental Airlines Flight 1404 Boeing 737 airplane crash, Denver, CO
Socata TBM 700 airplane crash - New Bedford, MA
Socata TBM 700 airplane crash - Morristown, NJ
Swedish Student Pilots aircraft collision, California Cessna 172 aircraft collision, Farmingdale, NY
Hawker Beechcraft BE35 airplane crash, Bethpage - Long Island, NY
Aviation Accident Laws, Statutes and Regulations
Any potential aviation accident litigation will involve a multi-faceted body of laws, statutes and regulations. These include:
Kreindler has literally written the book on aviation accident law. Our partners have authored numerous highly acclaimed books, articles and treatises, including the leading treatise in the aviation litigation field, Aviation Accident Law.
Kreindler is the preeminent aviation accident
law firm in the world. Our attorneys have been appointed leading counsel in
nearly every major commercial airline disaster case in the U.S. and abroad. The
firm was recently named 2024 Transportation Law Firm of the Year by the
National Law Journal. Kreindler’s aviation practice is led by attorneys who are
also commercial-rated, veteran military pilots. Kreindler’s aviation accident
attorneys have achieved an unmatched record of success representing people
globally who have been injured or lost family members in international and
domestic airline disasters. Our firm maintains offices in New York, Boston and Los Angeles.
The investigation will likely focus on the communications between air traffic control (ATC) and each aircraft as well as the altitude of each aircraft, the avionics including radar, along with the visual and perceptive cues available to the crew in the helicopter in particular.
This issue is shared responsibility between air traffic control and the pilots, but also the FAA in how they set up the airspace
