A passenger plane, operated by PSA Airlines, a subsidiary of American Airlines, crashed into a military helicopter, a Sikorsky H-60, near the Reagan National Airport in Washington, D.C., on January 29, at around 9:00 PM local time. The incident has raised questions about the circumstances surrounding the collision.
According to US President Donald Trump, the plane was on a routine approach to the airport, while the helicopter’s crew could have altered its course. On his social media platform, Truth Social, the President wrote, “The plane was on a perfect and routine approach to the airport. The helicopter was heading straight for it over a longer period of time. The night was clear, the plane’s lights were on – why didn’t the helicopter climb, descend, or swerve? Why did the tower not give the helicopter clear instructions instead of just asking if it saw the plane? This is a bad situation that could have been avoided.”
Experts from the National Transportation Safety Board and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) are investigating the incident, while the FBI has found no evidence of a terrorist connection. This is the first major plane crash in the US in over 15 years, according to CBS News. Robert Isom, CEO of American Airlines, expressed his deep condolences in a video message, saying, “This is a tough day for all of us.”
The Russian Embassy is checking if any Russian citizens were among the victims. It is already known that the former world pairs figure skating champions, coach Yevgeniya Shishkova and coach Vadim Naumov, as well as bronze medalist Inna Volynskaya, who represented the Soviet Union, were on board. This was confirmed by Ari Sakarian, manager of world champion Ilya Malinin, to the TASS news agency.
Volynskaya, a former coach at the Ashburn Ice House in Virginia, had at least seven years of experience as a coach in the US and was traveling with the team to the championships. As a pairs figure skater, she represented the Soviet Union alongside Valery Spiridonov, with whom she won six international competitions. After her active career, she lived in the US.
The passenger plane, a Bombardier CRJ700, collided with the military helicopter, a Sikorsky H-60, during its approach to the airport. Debris from the plane fell into the Potomac River. On board the plane were 60 passengers and four crew members, while the helicopter had three soldiers on board. According to CBS, at least 19 bodies have been recovered from the river.
The Sikorsky H-60 is a military helicopter produced by Sikorsky Aircraft. Igor Sikorsky, a Russian-born aviation pioneer, founded the company in the US in 1923 and is known for his contributions to the development of the modern helicopter. His most famous model, the Sikorsky R-4, was the first mass-produced helicopter in the world, introduced in 1942. Sikorsky’s innovations have had a lasting impact on both military and civilian aviation.