Capt. Sully Sullenberger Reacts To The Washington D.C. Plane Crash

Potomac River Midair Collision Claims 67 Lives; Captain Sullenberger Calls for Lessons to Be Learned

WASHINGTON, D.C. — A tragic midair collision between an Army Black Hawk helicopter and an American Airlines passenger jet near Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport on Wednesday night has left all 67 people aboard both aircraft presumed dead, authorities confirmed.

Deadly Crash Over the Potomac

The collision occurred around 9:00 PM local time, sending debris into the Potomac River and prompting an immediate search and rescue effort. By early Thursday morning, officials announced that the operation had shifted from rescue to recovery, as no survivors were expected to be found.

John Donnelly, Chief of the District of Columbia Fire Department, stated that emergency teams were working to retrieve bodies and aircraft wreckage from the river. “This is now about bringing closure to the families,” he said.

Sullenberger: “We Must Learn From Every Failure”

Captain Chesley “Sully” Sullenberger III, renowned for safely landing US Airways Flight 1549 on the Hudson River in 2009, expressed deep sorrow over the disaster.

“We’ve had to learn important lessons literally with blood too often, and we had finally gotten beyond that, to where we could learn from incidents, and not accidents,” Sullenberger told The New York Times.

Noting the challenges of nighttime aviation, Sullenberger explained that visibility could have played a role in the collision but cautioned that further investigation was needed. “Everything is harder at night,” he said. “We have the obligation to learn from every failure and improve.”

Federal Response and Investigation

In a video statement, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth confirmed that the Black Hawk crew was on a routine night training flight and was using night vision goggles at the time of the crash. He emphasized that the crew was experienced and undergoing an annual evaluation.

Newly sworn-in Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy assured the public that all preflight protocols appeared standard and vowed to provide answers to the victims’ families.

National Mourning and Presidential Address

Former President Donald Trump addressed the nation following the crash, calling it “a dark and excruciating night in our nation’s capital and in our nation’s history, and a tragedy of terrible proportions.”

“Together, we take solace in the knowledge that their journey ended not in the cold waters of the Potomac, but in the warm embrace of a loving God,” he said.

As federal investigators work to determine the cause of the crash, the incident has reignited discussions about air traffic safety and the risks of military and civilian aircraft operating in close proximity.

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