On Jan. 29, at 8:47 PM, American Eagle Flight 5342 and UH-60 Black Hawk collided and crashed into the Potomac River, resulting in the deadliest U.S. air crash in 20 years. According to the Washington Post, the crash killed 60 passengers and four crew members on the flight, as well as three crew members on the Black Hawk helicopter, leaving no survivors. D.C. Fire and EMS Chief John Donnelly stated that the recovery operation is “a highly complex operation, the conditions out there are extremely rough for the responders. It’s cold. They’re dealing with relatively windy conditions.”
World champion skaters, champion figure skating coaches and rising skating stars were among the passengers on the plane. The skaters were returning home from the National Development Camp, held in conjunction with the U.S. Figure Skating Championships in Wichita, Kan. Douglas Lane, the father of 16-year-old skater Spencer Lane, lost both his son and wife during the crash. He discussed the impact on the community, stating, “In [Spencer’s] home club in Boston, he was just loved by everyone from the adults running to the club to the smallest skaters to the people that are competing for a shot at the Olympics, they all just adored him … For Christine, just the amount of people from the community in Rhode Island I’ve already heard from today that she’s touched.”
Coaches Vadim Naumov and Evgenia Shishkova were also returning from the National Development Camp. The pair had competed in the Olympics twice and won the 1994 World Figure Skating Championship. U.S Figure Skating states that they “are devastated by this unspeakable tragedy and hold the victims’ families closely in our hearts.” The Skating Club of Boston CEO Doug Zeghibe mentions that the Naumov and Shishkova “were very much a part of our building the competitive skating program here at The Skating Club of Boston … So it’s a major personal loss, but it’s also a loss to our skating community.”
The Army helicopter was performing a military training flight from Fort Belvoir, Va. alongside an experienced crew. However, the helicopter deviated from the intended route, which was over half a mile away and much higher in altitude. Additionally, it was flying at an altitude of 300 feet, while the standard for helicopters in the area was 200 feet. After the crash, the Federal Aviation Administration set new restrictions for helicopters flying in and around Reagan Airport, specifically the North and South routes along the Potomac River.
The Army confirmed the soldiers in the helicopter as Ryan O’Hara and Andrew Eaves. The Army did not immediately release the third soldier’s identity at the family’s request. Ryan O’Hara, the crew chief on the Black Hawk Helicopter, is remembered by his wife and one-year old son. Ryan’s father, Gary O’Hara, reveals that the crew was “probably the most respected pilots that Ryan had ever flown with.” Carrie Eaves, the wife of Andrew Eaves, confirmed his presence on the Black Hawk Helicopter in a Facebook post. “We ask that you pray for our family and friends and for all the other families that are suffering today. We ask for peace while we grieve,” she said.
There was only one controller in the Reagan Airport control tower, managing both planes and helicopters, a job usually assigned for two people. Initially, two staff members would be present until around 9:30 p.m. Without a partner, the controller had more responsibilities, which led to mistakes. For instance, before the collision, the controller requested that the passenger jet pivot its landing position to Runway 33. This change in flight path may have contributed to the crash.
While authorities continue to investigate, the federal government has banned helicopter travel through and near Reagan Airport, which, according to Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, “will immediately help secure the airspace.”
