Former WHIO-TV reporter explains ‘unique challenge’ for pilots landing at Reagan Airport

DAYTON — A former WHIO-TV reporter explained the challenges for pilots while landing at Reagan National Airport.

This comes as search efforts continue after a passenger jet collided with a Black Hawk helicopter while trying to land at Ronald Reagan National Airport Wednesday night.

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>>PHOTOS: Plane crashes into helicopter while trying to land at Reagan Airport

We have the latest information on this breaking news today on News Center 7 at Noon and 5:00.

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As reported on News Center 7 at 11:00, the PSA Airlines flight 5342 carried 60 passengers and four crew members. Three soldiers were on board the helicopter at the time of the crash.

The Points Guy Aviation reporter Sean Cudahy, a former News Center 7 reporter, spoke with James Brown and Gabrielle Enright Wednesday night.

He said the PSA Airlines Bombardier CRJ700 regional jet is the type of plane that flies frequently out of Dayton International Airport to Washington D.C.

“You picture the kind of small regional jet that you will often board as you are going to go on a commercial flight, that is the type of jet we are talking about,” he said. “Those aircraft that maybe are too small to kind of put your bag in the overhead bin. That’s the type of jet we’re talking about. Certainly, one that thousands of people around the Miami Valley board every year.”

Cudahy is from the DC area and has flown in and out of Reagan for years. He said pilots face a “unique challenge” landing at Reagan National Airport.

“You got one of the busiest runways in the entire county and then you got this complex airspace,” he explained. “Aircraft have tight restrictions on where they can fly over Washington D.C. Reagan National is located across from the Potomac, right across the river from D.C. You can see many of the D.C. landmarks from the runway there. There’s an unusual path that these aircraft will take over the Potomac as they prepare to land. It’s tightly regulated tightly congested airspace.”

As for the investigation, Cudahy said the FAA and National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) taking control of the investigation with a large presence.

“You are not going to see flights taking off or landing for some time there as you have this search and rescue situation going in the Potomac on what is a very cold night there in our nation’s capital,” he said.

Reagan Airport said on social media they do not expect flights to resume until at least 11 a.m. Thursday.

We will update this story.

We are not expecting flights to resume until at least 11 a.m. today (Thursday). We will update if this changes. Also, stay in touch with your airline for schedule updates.
— Reagan Airport (@Reagan_Airport) January 30, 2025