Some flights at NYC-area airports canceled after DC plane, helicopter crash​on January 30, 2025 at 4:37 pm

NEW YORK (WABC) — Several flights in the New York area were canceled Thursday morning after a plane and helicopter collided in DC Wednesday night.

Raegan Airport in DC is expected to reopen after 11 a.m. on Thursday.

“It sounds to me like there was a radio call, we don’t know this for certain yet because it’s very early, but the helicopter pilot was told to do something, and whether or not that was done, whether that was an error in the transmission or not, we don’t know, but this is one of the last places I would expect to have this kind of collision because the folks in our military helicopters are very cognizant about how to stay out of the way,” said John Nance, ABC News Aviation Analyst.

There have been near collisions in New York air space.

In January 2023, at JFK International Airport, a report by the NTSB said interruptions, distractions, and multitasking led to a near collision between an American Airlines flight and a Delta Airlines flight about to take off.

Then in March of 2024, at LaGuardia Airport, a Southwest Airlines flight veered off course and came extremely close to the control tower during a landing attempt.

There were some 19 aircraft in the air at the time of the crash, all were diverted to Dulles International Airport about 20 miles west.

Thursday morning, passengers at LaGuardia Airport expressed their condolences to the families of the victims involved in the DC crash.

Many were uneasy after hearing the news but continued on with their travel plans.

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