Precision defines aviation safety. On January 29, 2025, precision failed. The result was sixty-seven fatalities and the total destruction of two airframes. At 20:48 EST, a Bombardier CRJ700 operating as American Eagle Flight 5342 collided with a Sikorsky UH-60L Black Hawk helicopter over the Potomac River. The location lies 0.5 miles southeast of Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport. The weather was clear. Visibility was ten miles. No environmental anomalies existed to obscure the pilots' view. The crash vectors were purely operational.

Flight 5342 originated from Wichita. PSA Airlines, a wholly-owned subsidiary of American Airlines Group, operated the service. The flight crew consisted of Captain Jonathan Campos and First Officer Samuel Lilley. Both held valid Airline Transport Pilot certificates. The aircraft carried sixty passengers and two flight attendants. Descent into the Washington D.C. Special Flight Rules Area began at 20:15 EST. Radar logs show the CRJ700 established on the River Visual approach for Runway 01 initially. Air Traffic Control directed a change. At 20:43, the tower requested the crew circle to Runway 33. The pilots accepted. This maneuver required a low-altitude turn over the Potomac. The altitude was approximately 300 to 400 feet MSL.