@TheIntelFrog - TheIntelFrog
An "aircraft emergency" has Reagan National Airport (DCA) in Washington D.C. closed as of 0155z. Will update this thread with more details as we find out. 1/
@TheIntelFrog - TheIntelFrog
US Park Police's N11PP as EAGLE1 is circling just off the end of one of the runways, and an airport operations vehicle, OPS 3, is parked at the end of the runway. 2/
@TheIntelFrog - TheIntelFrog
DC FEMS confirms a small plane has gone into the Potomac River. Unknown if it came from the airport or if this is the reason the airport is closed. 3/
@TheIntelFrog - TheIntelFrog
From reviewing playback on @ADSBex it appears that JIA5342, operated by PSA Airlines (regional carrier for American Airlines) collided midair with PAT25. PAT25 is possibly a US Army aircraft. 4/
@TheIntelFrog - TheIntelFrog
Current look at aerial activity over the scene. N911DC is the DC Metro Police Department's helicopter N11PP is the US Park Police's helicopter 6/
@TheIntelFrog - TheIntelFrog
Listening to the radio traffic on @liveatc, JIA5342 as BLUESTREAK5342 was directed to runway 33 and cleared to land. US Army Helicopter PAT25 was last asked if they had a Cherokee in sight. Per ADSB playback the accident happened at approximately 01:48:10z. 7/
@TheIntelFrog - TheIntelFrog
It does not appear that JIA5342 made it to the runway. 8/
@TheIntelFrog - TheIntelFrog
JIA5342 was a regularly scheduled service between Wichita, KS and Reagan National Airport in Washington D.C. It's a CRJ701-ER which has a maximum capacity of 70 passengers. 9/
@TheIntelFrog - TheIntelFrog
Confirmation from American Airlines it was a regional subsidiary aircraft involved in the crash. 10/
@TheIntelFrog - TheIntelFrog
Media reports confirm 64 souls on board the CRJ-700. Unknown who/what was on the US Army UH-60. 11/
@TheIntelFrog - TheIntelFrog
Correcting a previous post, the radio traffic to the blackhawk was "do you have the CRJ in sight" and was told to go behind the CRJ, to which PAT25 advises "in sight...visual separation." 12/
@TheIntelFrog - TheIntelFrog
Media reports confirm 3 souls on board the US Army UH-60 Blackhawk for a total of 67 souls involved in this accident. 13/
@TheIntelFrog - TheIntelFrog
Several helicopters still ovehead of the accident site. N22PP US Park Police EAGLE2 N913PG as GARDNR3 Prince Georges County, MD N191NR MD Natural Resources Dept. 14/
@TheIntelFrog - TheIntelFrog
American Airlines has setup a hotline for families of the passengers on board the CRJ. 15/
@TheIntelFrog - TheIntelFrog
US Army confirms it was a US Army UH-60 Blackhawk helicopter that was involved in the crash. It appeared to have come from the Langley, VA area and may have been returning to Fort Belvoir, VA. 16/
@TheIntelFrog - TheIntelFrog
Press conference with officials is expected to start soon at 0630z. 20/
@TheIntelFrog - TheIntelFrog
Press conference has begun at 0654z. Per Mayor Bowser: - A passenger plane collided with a military helicopter. - Fire departments from throughout the region are executing a rescue operation. - We expect to have another briefing at daylight. 22/
@TheIntelFrog - TheIntelFrog
Per Chief John Donnelly: - 300 responders on scene conducting rescue operations. - Operating under a unified command. - Highly complex operation, water is rough and it is windy. 23/
@TheIntelFrog - TheIntelFrog
24/
@TheIntelFrog - TheIntelFrog
DCA airport will be closed until at least 1100L tomorrow. No impact at Dulles or Baltimore-Washington airports. Per Airport Management. 25/
@TheIntelFrog - TheIntelFrog
30/ Updates from today’s NTSB briefing.
@bricaul - Brian McGuigan
.@flightradar24 recording as #AA5342 approached. Looks like another American flight was just ahead of them on final to runway 1. Possible 5342 sidestepped to runway 13, got low, and collided with a helicopter flying low on the east bank of the Potomac. The helicopter is not on ADSB.
@bricaul - Brian McGuigan
It is worth noting that – without casting any blame – the east bank of the Potomac is a published helicopter route that is generally only used by police and military helicopters given the restricted airspace. Not an unusual location for a police helicopter to be.
@bricaul - Brian McGuigan
I have DCA tower audio from the time of the #AA5342 incident. Hear 5342 check in and tower call out a traffic advisory to PAT25. Link below if you want to take a listen, but believe one of the impacted aircraft taps their mic at the time of the incident, so beware. https://drive.google.com/file/d/19E15JPah72EquQDlpyEJWctxJnPTY3kH/view?usp=sharing
@bricaul - Brian McGuigan
Really good thread on PAT25 broadcasting and 5342’s TCAS.
@WayneTechSPFX - WayneTech SPFX®️
AIRPLANE OPS: MASS CASUALTY EVENT: 🚨An airplane crashed into a helicopter over the Reagan National Airport in DC. The impact was caught on tower cam Search & Rescue teams are searching the Potomac River for survivors. Developing... https://t.co/9X9kNZH1Mn
@WayneTechSPFX - WayneTech SPFX®️
UPDATE: American Airlines Flight 5342 From Wichita, Kansas Inbound To Reagan National was the plane involved that crashed into a government helicopter.
@WayneTechSPFX - WayneTech SPFX®️
Flight data: No confirmation on how many were on the plane as of yet. https://t.co/NihfSdRJry
@WayneTechSPFX - WayneTech SPFX®️
According to the official ADSB Exchange. The heli wasn't broadcasting ADSB. That means its transponder wasn't on. ADSB: "Following developments of what appears to be a collision between a CRJ arriving from Wichita and a military VIP transport helicopter just east of DCA. The military aircraft was not broadcasting ADSB." The heli was triangulated via MLAT but not ADSB. I'm a paid subscriber to them. I trust 100% of what they say. It all checks out.
@WayneTechSPFX - WayneTech SPFX®️
UPDATE: New dashcam footage captured by a couple driving near Reagan. https://t.co/Pjb0AaMuyx
@WayneTechSPFX - WayneTech SPFX®️
UPDATE: NTSB has launched a go-team to the aviation accident involving a PSA Airlines Bombardier CRJ700 airplane and a Sikorsky H-60 military helicopter near Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport.
@WayneTechSPFX - WayneTech SPFX®️
UPDATE: The plane was found in the river in pieces. The Black Hawk helicopter was found upside-down at the bottom of the Potomic River. -CBS 19 bodies have been recovered so far. No survivors have been found as of yet. President Trump took to Truth to issue a response: https://t.co/PskwgxMVmy
@ClayTravis - Clay Travis
Helicopter and plane crash in DC. Video here. Pilots can respond, but how is this possible? https://t.co/OiTsLCDWJa
@Marteljr - Ray Martel
Here is a track of the helicopter from VA that would eventually crash into the CRJ at National Airport. Terrible accident. Helicopter came from Langley area. #planecrash https://t.co/NEBFzMG1SN
@nicksortor - Nick Sortor
🚨 #BREAKING: New angle of the American Airlines plane vs. Blackhawk crash in DC The Blackhawk sees to be almost TOTALLY dark. https://t.co/C6AXBSeXjZ
@clashreport - Clash Report
Official Air Traffic Control radar captures today’s collision near Washington, DC between a passenger aircraft and a US Army Black Hawk helicopter. CA (Collision Alert) signals heightened ATC attention, not imminent impact. Source: @avgeekjake https://t.co/Tg2er8s36p
@pete40460 - Pete Newell
Apparent flight path of Blackhawk helicopter that appears to have been attempting to hit an aircraft. What an awful tragedy. #BlackHawk #flightpath #AA5342 #dccrash #blackhawkcrash https://t.co/UpU7M2a497
@ShivAroor - Shiv Aroor
A second video of the mid-air collision, taken from Reagan Washington Airport outside DC. Clear that the US Army Black Hawk flew right into the American Airlines passenger jet’s landing path. Terribly tragic. 19 bodies recovered from the Potomac river, search on for more. https://t.co/yRTRQoN28j
@Ttrafiicckaza - Trafficc
Official Air Traffic Control radar captures today's collision near Washington, DC between a passenger aircraft and a US Army Black Hawk helicopter. CA (Collision Alert) signals increased ATC attention, not imminent impact. Source: @avgeekjake https://t.co/CzxjefQyA1
@mhelmly - Matt Helmly
@DraftDonks @ADSBex I joined X 10 years before you did. I don’t give a damn if you think I’m full of shit, because I’m right. You just can’t understand it and that actually makes sense. Not your fault. I’m just wondering what’s driving you so hard to think it’s intentional sabotage?
@DraftDonks - The Donks
You screen grabbed that video from another X user didn't you? Haha you haven't been right...again you said the flight path video uses ADSB, which is inaccurate since the chopper wasn't using it. I've already brought up many reasons why....now answer my questions - assuming that flight path video is accurate (and not a fake video), why does it make a sharp turn directly into the plane? Why does it look like it was headed straight towards the plane from miles away? Why is a military aircraft flying in busy commerical airspace? How does a Blackhawk with all the technology it has not see a commercial jet in a major airspace and city with plenty of illumation? Why do you deny sabotage as a possibility when you can remote control these Blackhawks, manned or un-manned? Why did the pilot acknowledge to ATC he had sight of the plane? Given all this circumstantial evidence it can't be an accident - at best extreme negligence but leans towards intentional more than anything.
@mhelmly - Matt Helmly
@DraftDonks @ADSBex Do you have answers to any of those questions? Any credible theories that could possibly be real? Or do you just know they make no sense to you, so there must be more to it? Because it sounds like you are saying this can’t be accidental, so it must be sabotage. That’s not weird?
@DraftDonks - The Donks
Yes, based on all the evidence it is not an accident. Again, at best extreme negligence. And I don't know why this is so hard for you to understand - I'm saying I think that flight path video that is circulating might be fake. You said it uses ADSB, not MLAT - the Blackhawk was using MLAT. If it is not fake, then how do you explain it making a sharp turn directly into the plane? If the chopper kept going straight it would have missed it. Yea, an amateur "mistake" right, by the best pilots in the world right?
@mhelmly - Matt Helmly
@DraftDonks @ADSBex So it must be sabotage based on nothing but the fact that it doesn’t make sense to you? Not a malfunction of some sort with the helo, or human error, or any other possiblity. It has to be intentional sabotage… cmon man! You can’t give one reason why you think that?
@DraftDonks - The Donks
@mhelmly @ADSBex For the millionth time, I gave you about 5 good reasons why. Yet you still can't give ONE reason or evidence why you think it was an accident.
@mhelmly - Matt Helmly
@DraftDonks @ADSBex I think he was a young pilot on a training flight. It was an executive transport helo so they fly in busy commercial airports at night, so they train to do so. I think he saw the plane behind the CRJ that was also on ATC audio and thought it was the one
@mhelmly - Matt Helmly
@DraftDonks @ADSBex They were talking about. That made him think he had more time. He maneuvered the way he did because he’s in what the local pilots call the “helicopter corridor” and tons of them have been posting that they’ve flown there 100’s of times and that it looked normal to them.
@mhelmly - Matt Helmly
@DraftDonks @ADSBex I think they never saw each other, at least not until it was too late. He’s flying forward and banking, meaning he’s facing nose down. The CRJ is landing, so it’s nose up to get more lift. The angle of each made it impossible to see each other.
@DraftDonks - The Donks
How does a Blackhawk not have the capability to see a commercial jet? It wasn't on the radar at all? Blackhawks have the ability to even see stealth aircraft. I'm not buying the narrative, sorry. It sounds fucking ridiculous, just think rationally - "let's train our new pilots in heavy commercial airspace where the altitude is so low you can't detect other aircrafts. The technology is the best in the world where it can see stealth aircraft though it isn't good enough to see a commercial jet." Despite all the technical jargon, quick reminder this is the video of the collision. Yea, I'm sure the chopper couldn't see the jet as it headed straight towards it from miles away.
@mhelmly - Matt Helmly
@DraftDonks @ADSBex You can’t hardly see shit in those cockpits completely level. Impossible at the angles they were at. Pilots don’t fly looking out the windshield like driving a car. CRJ on landing was definitely watching the gauges on the screens. A helo pilot tends to look down or at the screens
@rawsalerts - R A W S A L E R T S
🚨#BREAKING: Shared to me anonymously shows the Playback from official Air Traffic Control radar 📌#Washington | #DC Watch as exclusive playback, sent anonymously by @avgeekjake to Rawsalerst, reveals official Air Traffic Control radar footage displaying the Collision Alert. This alert is not for an imminent collision but serves as a tool to draw heightened attention from the controllers to potential risks. The footage then captures the critical moment when both aircraft collided, emphasizing the urgency of the controllers' split-second decisions. The radar data provides a detailed view of the events leading up to the crash, offering valuable insight into the sequence of actions and how the situation ultimately unfolded
@PlutooXr - Theo☀️
@In2ThinAir @rawsalerts @avgeekjake Not only zig zaging but attempting to crash into other planes. He shouldn't get that close at all. https://t.co/nX8AxaOeSx
@BGatesIsaPyscho - Concerned Citizen
Look how much time the helicopter has as it flies directly into the Commercial Airliner. It’s hard to fathom that this was just simply an accident. https://t.co/FyfjgOb3jk
@nicksortor - Nick Sortor
🚨 #BREAKING: Just 24 HOURS before an American Airlines flight collided with a Blackhawk at Reagan National Airport, ANOTHER American flight had to abort landing due to a helicopter crossing its flight path at the same airport AA4514 can be seen on radar having to go around a make a second attempt, and is currently under investigation. This should NOT be happening!
@MyLordBebo - Lord Bebo
🇺🇸New footage of the plane and helicopter crash in Washington. That looks extremely avoidable
@MyLordBebo - Lord Bebo
I heard the pilot was transgender, but the sources are not trustworthy and it looked to me just like good clickbait. I try to confirm, but right now I assume it is likely wrong because the first sources that posted it are click-baiters.
@MyLordBebo - Lord Bebo
So the helicopter deliberately tried to hit any plane on its way? https://t.co/PCV9CSHLA7
@MyLordBebo - Lord Bebo
The alleged transgender suicide helicopter pilot writes on social media, that he is not the one. As I said above, the initial spreaders of this were click baiters, it is not the pilot. https://t.co/r3v2ahTzrZ
@MyLordBebo - Lord Bebo
🇺🇸 Jo Ellis, the transgender Black Hawk pilot: “I understand some people have associated me with a the crash in DC and that is false. It is insulting to the families to try to tie this to some sort of political agenda. They don't deserve that. I don't deserve this.” https://t.co/ENWTlLWJ35
@MyLordBebo - Lord Bebo
Eaves died in the crash too. His wife, Carrie Eaves, confirmed his death on Facebook and asked for prayers for all affected families. As per reports, Eaves was the Chief Warrant Office 2 of Mississippi. He grew up in the Brooksville and graduated from Central Academy. He said to be with Bravo Company, 12th Aviation Battalion out of Davison Army Airfield, Fort Belvoir, Virginia. The helicopter, part of the 12th Aviation Battalion at Davison Army Airfield in Fort Belvoir, Virginia, was on a training mission when it collided with American Airlines Flight 5342. The plane, originating from Wichita, Kansas, was attempting to land when the collision occurred just before 8 p.m. The helicopter carried three troops, and the plane had 64 people on board.
@stillgray - Ian Miles Cheong
There is absolutely NO WAY the Black Hawk didn’t see the American Airlines plane. They flew right into it. https://t.co/Fco4yVzSXy
@Matt_Bracken48 - Matt Bracken
Why Are So Many Helicopters Flying Around a Busy Airport in the Middle of Washington DC? The answer is Joint Base Anacostia-Bolling > by Matt Bracken / Jan 31, 2025 It’s amazing how uncurious the mainstream media has been about this question. I suppose they have been advised to keep this angle on the recent aviation disaster out of their stories. They just go with “It’s a busy area with lots of commercial and military aircraft” and leave it at that. “National security” is probably invoked. But the answer to the question is very simple. Directly across the Potomac River from Reagan International Airport is Joint Base Anacostia-Bolling. All of the information on the map is taken straight from Google Maps on satellite view. You can look around for yourself, zooming way down to examine each component command and service facility, from the headquarters of the Defense Intelligence Agency to the base barber shop. Please don’t be concerned about my disclosing any secrets, anybody on the planet with an internet connection can see the same thing. I merely labeled a screen shot with the names of the various commands. I’m only guessing, but I’d bet there are more generals and admirals per square mile on Joint Base Anacostia-Bolling (JBAB) than anywhere other than the Pentagon, which is located a short helicopter hop two miles to the northwest. CIA headquarters is twelve miles up the Potomac “as the crow flies,” but anybody who is familiar with driving inside the DC Beltway knows that while a helicopter ride might take ten minutes, the same drive by automobile can take over an hour, depending on traffic conditions. So for the convenience of all of the high-ranking generals, admirals and members of the Senior Executive Service assigned to JBAB, the Army established units like the 12th Aviation Battalion. The 12th AvBatt is based at Fort Belvoir, Virginia, which is about 15 miles to the southwest. So, as you can imaging, the air corridor along the Potomac between CIA HQ, the Pentagon, the White House, JBAB and Fort Belvoir is virtually a “helicopter highway.” [The rest is at the Substack link in the first reply to avoid post X-tinction]
@Matt_Bracken48 - Matt Bracken
5/ Madness. It appears that PAT-25 flew slightly outside of its assigned corridor and popped up to 350 feet from its maximum allowed 200, and an aviation catastrophe ensued, resulting in the loss of 67 lives. How long does it take a Black Hawk that is cruising along at between 100 and 170 knots to rise a mere 150 feet in altitude? Seconds. And four seconds after impact, the fiery wreckage of American Eagle Flight 5342 impacted the icy Potomac, killing all 64 aboard. Video of below screen capture at this link. https://t.co/jlvIUZ1EI5
@Matt_Bracken48 - Matt Bracken
6/ Our elite military and federal brass, the generals, admirals and the SES, want the best of all worlds. They want to live and work in a prime Washington location, near all their HQs and commands. But they don’t want to sit stuck in automobile traffic with the peons. So they were willing to carve out an exceptional helicopter corridor directly under a busy airport’s approach path, with helicopters and airliners often passing danger close. This is just as insane as my hypothetical active rifle range with a “safe pedestrian corridor” between the firing line and the targets. A disaster was bound to happen between JBAB and Reagan International, and finally, it did.
@Matt_Bracken48 - Matt Bracken
Why Are So Many Helicopters Flying Around a Busy Airport in the Middle of Washington DC? The answer is Joint Base Anacostia-Bolling > by Matt Bracken / Jan 31, 2025 It’s amazing how uncurious the mainstream media has been about this question. I suppose they have been advised to keep this angle on the recent aviation disaster out of their stories. They just go with “It’s a busy area with lots of commercial and military aircraft” and leave it at that. “National security” is probably invoked. But the answer to the question is very simple. Directly across the Potomac River from Reagan International Airport is Joint Base Anacostia-Bolling. All of the information on the map is taken straight from Google Maps on satellite view. You can look around for yourself, zooming way down to examine each component command and service facility, from the headquarters of the Defense Intelligence Agency to the base barber shop. Please don’t be concerned about my disclosing any secrets, anybody on the planet with an internet connection can see the same thing. I merely labeled a screen shot with the names of the various commands. I’m only guessing, but I’d bet there are more generals and admirals per square mile on Joint Base Anacostia-Bolling (JBAB) than anywhere other than the Pentagon, which is located a short helicopter hop two miles to the northwest. CIA headquarters is twelve miles up the Potomac “as the crow flies,” but anybody who is familiar with driving inside the DC Beltway knows that while a helicopter ride might take ten minutes, the same drive by automobile can take over an hour, depending on traffic conditions. So for the convenience of all of the high-ranking generals, admirals and members of the Senior Executive Service assigned to JBAB, the Army established units like the 12th Aviation Battalion. The 12th AvBatt is based at Fort Belvoir, Virginia, which is about 15 miles to the southwest. So, as you can imaging, the air corridor along the Potomac between CIA HQ, the Pentagon, the White House, JBAB and Fort Belvoir is virtually a “helicopter highway.” [The rest is at the Substack link in the first reply to avoid post X-tinction]
@Matt_Bracken48 - Matt Bracken
8/ You can order my novels from Amazon in print, Audible and Kindle formats. If you want signed copies of the printed books, you can order them from me, instead of giving Jeff Bezos most of your money. Details below. Snail mail works fine, but my PayPal at this link is quicker. paypal.me/steelcutter48
@_Tyrant_Slayer - Ken Smith
@Matt_Bracken48 So based off this image the reports of the helicopters not being allowed to travel above 200' are true, and that means the helicopter that took out the plane appears to have done this on purpose. As the helicopter didn't climb until the plane was in sight. https://t.co/r04iZYjFDF
@CollinRugg - Collin Rugg
JUST IN: Four people briefed on the DC crash say the Black Hawk was flying too high *and* was outside of its approved path when it collided with the American Airlines flight, according to the NYT. The helicopter pilot acknowledged how they were getting too close to the plane yet somehow collided with it anyway after being warned by the air traffic controller. "The air traffic control tower had given the helicopter pilot permission to fly no higher than 200 feet, said the people, who were not authorized to speak about the matter publicly," The Times reported. The development from the outlet comes after President Trump questioned why the pilot was flying so high. "The Blackhawk helicopter was flying too high, by a lot. It was far above the 200-foot limit. That’s not really too complicated to understand, is it???" Trump posted.
@DC_Draino - DC_Draino
Ok let me get this straight… President Trump says the Blackhawk helicopter was flying way too high and implies it was intentional The video shows it head straight towards the passenger airplane The military won’t release the female pilot’s name What are we supposed to make of this?
@DC_Draino - DC_Draino
Trump has access to the highest levels of intel and he’s posting thing like this https://t.co/Yldb6mrZ2k
@Ryan56432643 - Ryan 🇬🇧 ₿ITCOIN & CORE 🔶 ❤️
The pin still attached tho. Another part under it came off
@MyLordBebo - Lord Bebo
🇺🇸 The female pilot that crashed a black hawk helicopter into a passenger jet could have avoided killing dozens of people and herself, by just listening to what she was told. She literally was warned to turn left, to avoid the plane. She didn’t and crashed it I them. Shame. https://t.co/MlmYczoUl7
@MyLordBebo - Lord Bebo
So, it was extremely avoidable.