A midair collision near D.C. has raised concerns over FAA staffing, prompting scrutiny of air traffic control and aviation safety oversight.

An American Airlines plane carrying 60 passengers and four crew members collided with an Army Black Hawk helicopter outside Reagan National Airport near Washington, D.C. Wednesday evening. Three soldiers were onboard the helicopter and a massive search and rescue operation is now unfolding in the Potomac River.

Mike Whitaker, unanimously confirmed as the FAA administrator in October 2023, stepped down early from his five-year term on Jan. 20 when Trump took office and for 10 days the FAA declined to say who was running the agency on an acting basis. Trump has not yet named a permanent candidate to replace Whitaker.

Authorities continue to search for bodies and determine what led to the Wednesday, Jan. 29, midair collision between an American Airlines jet and a U.S. Army Black Hawk helicopter over the Potomac River in the Washington,

Aviation experts have warned for years about near collisions at airports around the US, citing air traffic control shortages and airspace congestion.

The Federal Aviation Administration issued a statement saying that A PSA Airlines Bombardier CRJ700 regional jet collided in midair with a Sikorsky H-60 helicopter while approaching Washington National Airport at about 9 p.

Latest news and live updates after an American Airline jet collided with a Black Hawk helicopter over the Potomac River.

The FAA and NTSB have launched an investigation into how an American Airlines flight collided with a military helicopter over the Potomac River.

An American Airlines regional jetliner coming from Wichita, Kansas, collided midair with a Black Hawk military helicopter near Washington D.C.'s Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, officials said.

A 2023 report determined that over 99% of American airports lacked critical air traffic control staffing. Aggressively recruiting qualified employees was a top priority for transportation officials under President Joe Biden, but policy reversals last week pumped the brakes on hirings.

A preliminary safety report from the Federal Aviation Administration reportedly found that air traffic control staffing was abnormally low at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport on the evening of Wednesday, Jan. 29, according to The New York Times, which obtained a copy of the report.