PDB Afternoon Bulletin | January 30th, 2025: Plane Collides With Army Black Hawk In Deadly DC Crash & Trump Preps Guantanamo Bay For 30,000 Criminal Migrants

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It's Thursday, 30 January. Welcome to the PDB Afternoon Bulletin. I'm Mike Baker, your eyes and ears on the world stage. Let's get briefed. First, tragic news out of Washington, D.C., where an American Airlines plane carrying 64 people suffered a mid-air collision with a U.S. Army Black Hawk helicopter on Wednesday night, causing both aircraft to crash into the Potomac River.

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Then, President Trump has announced plans to open a 30,000-person migrant facility at the Guantanamo Bay military base in Cuba, as his administration gears up for ongoing deportations. But first, our afternoon spotlight. More than 60 people are dead after an American Airlines regional jet collided midair with a U.S.

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Army Black Hawk helicopter, sending both aircraft plummeting into the high-sea Potomac River as the jet was on final approach for landing at Reagan Washington National Airport. American Eagle Flight 5342, operated by PSA Airlines, was on final approach to Runway 33 when it struck a Sikorsky H-60 helicopter, Black Hawk, at approximately 9 p.m. Wednesday.

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According to Flight Radar 24, the flight, arriving from Wichita, Kansas, was flying at an altitude of roughly 300 feet when the impact occurred. Onboard were 60 passengers and four crew members. The helicopter carried three crew. The collision is the deadliest air disaster on U.S. soil since November of 2001.

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By Thursday morning, rescue operations had shifted to recovery, with Washington Fire and EMS Chief John Donnelly confirming that authorities no longer expect to find survivors. As of now, 28 bodies have been pulled from the wreckage, 27 from the jet, one from the helicopter. The shattered fuselage of Flight 5342 was discovered in at least three large sections in the river.

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Among those on board were ice skaters, their families, and coaches returning from competitions in Kansas, including Russian-born former world champions. The Kremlin acknowledged the deaths of Russian nationals and extended condolences to their families, though a spokesman said there are no plans for a conversation between President Putin and President Trump over the matter.

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Trump briefed late Wednesday, thanked first responders for their efforts. American Airlines CEO Robert Isom flew to Washington overnight, telling reporters that the airline is fully cooperating with investigators and assisting families of those lost.

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Isom noted that the PSA jet was on a routine descent into one of the busiest airports in the country when the Black Hawk entered its path, stating, quote, At this time, we don't know why the military aircraft came into the path of the PSA aircraft. According to CBS News, authorities recovered one of the aircraft's two black boxes.

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Reagan National suspended operations overnight but reopened Thursday morning with airlines scrambling to adjust schedules. In a Thursday press conference, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, just two days into his role, suggested the disaster was preventable, noting both aircraft were flying standard patterns with no reported communications failures.

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Investigations are now underway, led by the National Transportation Safety Board and the Federal Aviation Administration. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth confirmed that the Black Hawk was conducting an annual night evaluation, which was piloted by an experienced crew and was equipped with night vision goggles. He added that the Defense Department is also actively investigating.

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The crash raises fresh concerns about ongoing challenges at the FAA, which has been without a permanent administrator since former Chief Mike Whitaker stepped down on 20 January when Trump took office. Whitaker was the third permanent FAA administrator since 2017, despite the position carrying a five-year term.

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During a press conference on Thursday, President Trump did name a new acting head of the FAA. Coming up, as deportations continue across America, with the focus on those illegal immigrants with criminal records or deemed public safety threats, President Trump has announced plans to open a 30,000-person migrant facility at the Guantanamo Bay military base in Cuba. I'll be right back.

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