On-scene documentation of the recovered wreckage from the Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) RJ Aviation (Bombardier) CRJ700 and the Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk was completed today. Further examination and download of components will occur as needed at NTSB laboratories or manufacturer facilities.
Airplane Structures and Helicopter Airworthiness groups completed their on-scene tasks and are preparing for potential follow-on investigative activities. The Helicopter Operations and Human Performance group is continuing their fact-gathering activities and completing interviews of Army aviation personnel.
NTSB is continuing work in its laboratories on the cockpit voice recorder and flight data recorder of both aircraft.
Investigative Update for Feb. 10
Airplane Systems, Airplane Operations and Human Performance, Survival Factors, and Powerplants groups completed their on-scene tasks today and are preparing for potential follow-on investigative activities. Airplane Structures, Helicopter Airworthiness, Helicopter Operations and Human Performance groups are continuing the on-scene documentation of the wreckage from the Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) RJ Aviation (Bombardier) CRJ700 and the Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk recovered from the Potomac River. Further examination and download of components will occur as needed at NTSB laboratories or manufacturer facilities.
NTSB is continuing work in its laboratory on the cockpit voice recorder and flight data recorder of both aircrafts.
A fundamental part of any NTSB investigation is its organization of the party system. The Party System allows the NTSB to designate other organizations or companies as parties to the investigations and allows the Board to leverage its resources to investigate about 1,200 aviation accidents and incidents a year. For this accident parties, accredited representatives, and technical advisors to the investigation include:
- PSA Airlines
- General Electric (GE) Aerospace
- Sikorsky Aircraft
- Federal Aviation Administration (FAA)
- U.S. Army
- National Air Traffic Controllers Association (NATCA)
- Air Line Pilots Association (ALPA)
- Association of Flight Attendants (AFA)
- International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAM)
- Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority (MWAA)
- Collins Aerospace
- Transportation Safety Board (TSB) of Canada - (Accredited Representative)
- MHI RJ - (Technical advisor to TSB Canada)
- Transport Canada - (Technical advisor to TSB Canada)
Images are available on
NTSB's Flickr
B-roll from the investigation is available on
NTSB's YouTube Channel
Investigative Update for Feb 9
Divers from the FBI continue to investigate multiple underwater targets that could be additional aircraft debris from the Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) RJ Aviation (Bombardier) CRJ700 and the Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk and recover those items.
Additional larger pieces of wreckage identified by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration TopoBathy lidar survey were recovered by the crane and are being offloaded and brought to a secure location for documentation.
NTSB investigators continued to document the helicopter wreckage. Several components were removed from the wreckage and arrangements are being made for detailed follow up examination of these items.
Investigative Update for Feb 8
All major pieces the Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) RJ Aviation (Bombardier) CRJ700 and the Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk involved in the Jan. 29 mid-air collision near Ronald Reagan National Airport have now been recovered to a secure airport facility for further examination and documentation. Investigators will be looking for witness marks on the aircraft that could provide clues to the angle of collision. Teams also recovered the CRJ’s Traffic Collision Avoidance System (TCAS) and retrieved additional avionics from the Black Hawk.
A National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration TopoBathy lidar survey from a manned NOAA aircraft was conducted this morning and identified multiple underwater targets that could be additional aircraft debris. Divers investigated those targets today and will continue that work this week.
B-roll from the investigation is available on
NTSB's YouTube Channel
Investigative Update for Feb. 7
The NTSB, in coordination with the Naval Sea Systems Command Supervisor of Salvage and Diving (SUPSALV), offloaded from a barge the wreckage of the Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk involved in the Jan. 29 mid-air collision over the Potomac River near Reagan National Airport. Additional components of the Bombardier CRJ700 were also offloaded. The wreckage will be placed in a secure hangar at DCA for layout and inspection by investigators.
A National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration TopoBathy lidar survey from a manned NOAA aircraft has been delayed until Saturday morning from 2 -5 a.m., weather permitting. Topographic/Bathymetric lidar has a visible green laser pulse that can collect elevation data on the land as well as under the water. The survey was requested to identify objects for divers to investigate.
Investigators from the helicopter operations group were at Davison Army Airfield today to examine an exemplar Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk. Investigators want to compare switch and other settings from the accident helicopter.
Investigators documented the right wing of the CRJ and recovered its exterior lights, which were sent to NTSB laboratories. Investigators now plan to document the airplane’s left wing.
B-roll from the investigation is available on
NTSB's YouTube Channel
Investigative Update for Feb. 6
The NTSB, in coordination with the Naval Sea Systems Command Supervisor of Salvage and Diving (SUPSALV), recovered today the Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk and additional parts of the Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) RJ Aviation (Bombardier) CRJ700 from the Potomac River. The team continues to search for additional parts of the Black Hawk including the right engine and tail rotor. The wreckage is expected to be offloaded from the barge tomorrow and transferred to a secure location.
As part of the recovery operation, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) will be flying a TopoBathy lidar (light detection and ranging) scan flight overnight to scan the river floor. The scan will be used to potentially identify additional parts and items for recovery by divers or a crane. There will be a visible green light from the aircraft during the scan. The green light is not harmful to the eye.
NTSB investigators today examined the MHI RJ Aviation CRJ700 wreckage that has been recovered and secured. Flight data for both aircraft are being analyzed and parameters continued to be validated.
Recovery operations will continue tomorrow in the Potomac River.
Investigative Update for Feb. 5
The NTSB investigation continues as wreckage from the Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) RJ Aviation (Bombardier) CRJ700 has been offloaded from the barge and transferred to a secure location for a full wreckage layout and examination.
The examination of the wreckage will include:
- Accounting for major portions of the aircraft
- Witness marks on the aircraft structure and fracture surfaces
- General airworthiness of the aircraft and Traffic Awareness and Collision Avoidance System (TCAS) related components
- Cockpit switch positions and instrument readings
Investigative Update for Feb. 4
The NTSB, in coordination with the Naval Sea Systems Command Supervisor of Salvage and Diving (SUPSALV), continued to recover wreckage from the Bombardier CRJ700 in the Potomac River. The following parts of the Bombardier CRJ700 have been recovered since the last update: right wing, center fuselage, part of the left wing and left fuselage, significant portions of the forward cabin and cockpit, vertical and horizontal stabilizers, tail cone, rudder, elevators, TCAS computer and quick access recorder. The recovered wreckage will be moved to a secure location for a wreckage layout examination.
NTSB has also been provided updated information that shows the air traffic control tower display at DCA is fed by the Potomac TRACON. The TRACON fuses information from multiple radar sensors and ADS-B data, providing the best quality flight track data to air traffic control. This data showed the Black Hawk was at 300 feet on the air traffic control display at the time of the collision. This data is rounded to the nearest 100 feet.
NTSB needs additional information to verify data points from the Black Hawk. In order to obtain this information, the Black Hawk needs to be recovered from the water, which is expected to take place later this week.
The aircraft systems group continued to review maintenance paperwork for the CRJ700 and the helicopter airworthiness group continued to review maintenance records for the Black Hawk.
NTSB investigators continue to transcribe the cockpit voice recorders for both aircraft. Synchronization work for the Black Hawk flight data recorder and cockpit voice recorder is ongoing.
B-roll from the investigation is available on
NTSB's YouTube Channel
Investigative Update for Feb. 3
The NTSB, in coordination with the U.S. Navy Supervisor of Salvage, recovered the aft fuselage, right engine and right pylon of the Bombardier CRJ700 this afternoon. Recovery of the Bombardier CRJ700 is ongoing. The salvage team will recover the Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk after the airplane has been recovered. FBI dive teams will recover smaller pieces of wreckage. Recovery of the Bombardier CRJ700 and Black Hawk will take several days.
The NTSB investigative team has obtained training and flight logs for both flight crews and maintenance logs for both aircraft. The human performance group is building several day histories for both flight crews to include their daily activities. The Air Traffic Control group has completed interviews of all five staffed positions in the tower.
NTSB investigators are working to synchronize flight data recorder and cockpit voice recorder data from both aircraft, ATC communications and radar scope data to obtain a detailed timeline. The flight data recorder for the Black Hawk did not have timestamps. Investigators will have to manually create timestamps, which requires additional time to validate.
B-roll from the investigation is available on
NTSB's YouTube Channel
The NTSB is investigating the accident involving a PSA Airlines Bombardier CRJ700 airplane operated as American Airlines Flight 5342 from Wichita, Kansas, to Reagan Washington National Airport and a U.S. Army Sikorsky UH-60 "Black Hawk" helicopter that collided midair over the Potomac River at approximately 8:48 p.m. ET on January 29, 2025.
NTSB investigators responded to the scene to document the wreckage, collect evidence and interview witnesses. All aspects of this incident remain under investigation.
A preliminary report is expected within 30 days from the date of the accident. The preliminary report will contain factual information gathered during the initial phase of the investigation. A probable cause of the crash and any contributing factors will come in the final report, which is expected in 12 to 24 months.
B Roll Ronald Reagan Airport Drone Operations