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On the night of January 29, 2025, American Airlines Flight 5342 and a U.S. Army Black Hawk helicopter collided mid-air at 8:47 over the Potomac River in Washington, D.C. The collision resulted in the death of 67 people, making it the deadliest U.S. air disaster since 2001. With the wreckage of both aircrafts in the Potomac, USACE activated its Emergency Operations Center to join the larger interagency recovery effort.
USACE, the Metropolitan Police Department, D.C. Fire and EMS, regional partners and the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) immediately took to the water to assist with wreckage identification and recovery, setting up a Unified Command in a nearby hangar at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport.
As they had done just one year prior following the collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore, USACE worked alongside the USCG and U.S. Navy Supervisor of Salvage and Diving (SUPSALV) to determine key actions and a strategy to assist with recovery and salvage operations. Gathering data through preliminary analysis and assessment was critical in assisting operations throughout the response effort.
The USACE, Baltimore District vessels out of the Potomac and Anacostia Rivers Drift Collection and Removal Unit were crucial to the mission in the early hours. The BD-5 and the BD-6, small debris vessels typically utilized to clear hazards in D.C. waterways, were used to remove ice on the water at Joint Base Anacostia Bolling so recovery assets could access the area. These smaller debris vessels were also utilized to remove debris on the Potomac River at the discretion of the USCG. The Baltimore District Navigation Branch provided hydrographic surveys via the BUCK, a 26-foot survey vessel equipped with single and multi-beam sonars.
The preliminary assessments allowed prestaging for salvage operations to begin on Jan. 31. Necessary equipment to complete the wreckage clearing were brought on-site, including a crane barge, deck barges with spuds, dive boats, and two surface-supplied dive systems to facilitate the dive operations throughout the mission.
All salvage operations were completed in close coordination with the Unified Command to ensure strict adherence to the central priority of the dignified recovery of the missing flight passengers and personnel. When remains were located within the area, an automatic work stoppage was issued until proper coordination was made with the appropriate authorities.
Crane operations were initially focused on the removal of the airplane, as large pieces of wreckage were in one distinct area. The plane’s fuselage, engines, wings, and cockpit were recovered in roughly four days, after which the salvage teams transferred their focus to the Black Hawk helicopter.
SUPSALV was able to complete the removal of the Black Hawk in one singular lift due to the shallowness of the water, and the aft section remaining mostly intact. The team used a challenging rigging combination to safely lift the helicopter to the deck of the crane barge.
By February 5, all 67 victims had been recovered and positively identified. One day later, on February 6, USACE and its partners at the USCG and SUPSALV marked the significant milestone of the removal of all major components of the American Airlines regional jet and the U.S. Army Black Hawk helicopter from the Potomac River.
The wreckage that was removed from the waterway was transferred via flatbed to a secure location for a wreckage layout examination by the National Transportation Safety Board, as part of their ongoing investigation.
“Thanks to the exhaustive efforts of Unified Command personnel, we were able to safely remove all major wreckage components of both the jet and helicopter from the Potomac in four days while simultaneously aiding recovery efforts to reunite families who are mourning the tremendous loss of their loved ones,” said Baltimore District Commander Col. Francis Pera.
With the large pieces of aircraft removed from the Potomac, and all 67 victims recovered and identified, salvage crews continued to clear smaller debris that would continue to pose a hazard to navigation with salvage baskets.
Six days ahead of schedule, on February 11, wreckage removal and demobilization were complete when dive operations confirmed that the Potomac River section affected by this tragic incident had been fully restored.
While an incident such as the Francis Scott Key Bridge collapse was an immense tragedy, the partnerships that were built during that response were invaluable to the success of this mission. The expertise SUPSALV provided allowed for a rapid response with planning, asset identification, contracting, and wreckage removal.
“We are proud of the unified efforts and partnerships that endured through this response and helped make this mission successful,” said Baltimore District Commander Col. Francis Pera. “Each day, we thought of those who lost their lives, their loved ones, and the many incident responders impacted by this tragic event.”
Throughout the response, 49 USACE subject matter experts worked alongside more than 2,000 responders from 45 private, local, state and federal agencies to restore safe navigation through the Potomac River.
Over 13 days of dedicated and thorough work during the Potomac River Aviation Incident response, USACE remained steadfast and proved its commitment to its mission of delivering vital engineering solutions in collaboration with its partners to serve and strengthen the Nation, energize the economy, and reduce disaster risks.
| Date Taken: | 08.07.2025 |
| Date Posted: | 11.17.2025 08:30 |
| Story ID: | 551309 |
| Location: | BALTIMORE, MARYLAND, US |
| Web Views: | 31 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, USACE responds to Potomac River Aviation Incident, by Nicole Strong, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
