Washington D.C. AA Plane Crash: What Was the Flight Path?

Image Credit: AFP via Getty Images

An American Airlines regional jet and a U.S. Army Black Hawk helicopter crashed Wednesday night in a collision over the Potomac River near Washington, D.C., with no survivors expected. Sixty-four people were aboard the plane.

Find out more below.

Where Was the D.C. Flight Coming From?

American Airlines 5342 departed from Wichita, Kansas.

Where Is Reagan International Airport?

Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA) is located in Arlington, Virginia, just across the Potomac River from downtown Washington, D.C. It has one of the busiest airspaces in the world, including the busiest runway in the U.S., Runway 1.

The airport reopened Thursday morning, about 14 hours after the devastating crash.

Where Is the Potomac River?

The Potomac River is located along the eastern United States, flowing through the states of West Virginia, Maryland, and Virginia. It runs into the Chesapeake Bay, passing through Washington, D.C. on its way. The river serves as a natural border between Washington, D.C., and Virginia.

Are There Any Survivors from the American Airlines Crash?

During a news conference, D.C. Fire and EMS Chief John Donnelly shared: “We are now at a point where we are switching from a rescue operation to a recovery operation. We don’t believe there are any survivors from this accident,” according to Politico. 

“It’s a highly complex operation, the conditions out there are extremely rough for the responders. It’s cold. They’re dealing with relatively windy conditions,” Donnelly added.