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The company planning a successor to Concorde makes its first supersonic test

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The company planning a successor to Concorde makes its first supersonic test

Boom Supersonic’s XB-1 breaks the sound barrier on Jan. 28.

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A private company aiming to build the first supersonic airliner since the Concorde retired more than two decades ago achieved its first sound-barrier-busting flight over California’s Mojave desert on Tuesday.

Denver-based Boom Supersonic’s XB-1 demonstrator plane, with Chief Test Pilot Tristan “Geppetto” Brandenburg at the controls, hit Mach 1.122, or 750 mph, at an altitude of about 35,000 feet. Brandenburg brought the plane to a successful landing at the end of the approximately 34-minute flight.

Founder and CEO Blake Scholl described the flight as “phenomenal.”

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“We’re ready to scale up. We’re ready to build the passenger supersonic jet that will pick up where Concorde left off and ultimately allow the rest of us to fly supersonic,” Scholl said.

The Mach 1 milestone was reached on the 12th test flight of the XB-1. The company says it plans to incorporate what it learns from the XB-1 into a supersonic passenger jet known as Overture that can carry up to 80 passengers. The new passenger plane is designed to maintain a cruising speed of Mach 1.7, or roughly twice as fast as current commercial jet airliners.

According to Boom, United, American and Japan Airlines have all expressed interest in purchasing the Overture. In a statement emailed to NPR, United Airlines said that in 2021, it “reached a conditional, non-binding purchase agreement” with the company to buy 15 of the airliners, with “options for up to an additional 35 aircraft.”

Boom says it expects Overture to be ready for commercial flights by 2030. The plane is expected to be capable of transoceanic flights at altitudes up to 60,000 feet — much higher than conventional jet airlines, “high enough to see the curvature of the earth below,” according to the company. “Flying at supersonic speeds tends to be smoother than subsonic flight because at 60,000 feet, you’re flying above most turbulence,” it says.

Unlike Concorde, which proved uneconomical to operate, Boom says airlines should be able to make a profit selling seats on Overture at fares similar to those for first and business class seats on current commercial airliners.

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“The biggest problem with Concorde was it was just simply too expensive to operate,” Scholl said. “So the single most important problem to solve is not to break the sound barrier, but to break the economic barrier.”

Concorde made its first operational flight from London to Washington, D.C., in 1976. Developed jointly by Britain and France, Concorde was operated for nearly three decades by Air France and British Airways.

However, the jet was criticized for its inefficiency. Compared to a Boeing 747, the delta-wing Concorde guzzled four times as much fuel and carried only one-fifth as many passengers — around 100. The plane was also the subject of complaints about noise from its loud turbojet engines and its sonic booms.

Scholl says Concorde had very loud, converted military engines, but Overture will be “dramatically quieter, and that means around an airport, Overture will be no louder than the subsonic airplanes that are flying today.”

In 1996, Concorde set a speed record of just 2 hours, 52 minutes, and 59 seconds between New York and London. In 2000, a Concorde was involved in a fiery crash shortly after takeoff from Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport that killed all 100 passengers and nine crew aboard France Air Flight 4590. The supersonic planes were grounded but eventually returned to service. Always a money-loser, the Concorde was eventually retired in 2003.

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Donald Trump blames Democrats and DEI for fatal Washington mid-air collision

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Donald Trump blames Democrats and DEI for fatal Washington mid-air collision

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Donald Trump blamed Democrats and diversity, equity and inclusion policies for a collision between a commercial jet and military helicopter that killed 67 people just outside of Washington.

Without citing evidence, the president said that his “common sense” assessment was that the accident was caused by lax safety standards as a result of DEI policies introduced by his predecessors.

“There are no survivors,” Trump told reporters on Thursday as he took to the podium in the White House press briefing room for the first time in his second presidency.

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The regional American Airlines flight, which was operated by its subsidiary PSA Airlines, had originated in Wichita, Kansas. The Bombardier CRJ700 jet was making its approach into Washington Reagan National Airport on Wednesday night when it collided with a US army Sikorsky H-60 Black Hawk helicopter, plunging into the Potomac River.

The fuselage of the commercial jet was found in three pieces in the water. The American flight had 60 passengers and four crew members on board, while three soldiers were in the Black Hawk.

Trump, who was flanked by his vice-president and newly sworn in secretaries of defence and transportation, began his remarks with an appeal for unity in “a moment of anguish”, when “the differences between Americans fade to nothing”.

But he quickly launched into a political attack against Democrats, saying that ex-presidents Barack Obama and Joe Biden had lowered standards for who was allowed to qualify to be an air traffic controller.

“I put safety first, Obama, Biden and the Democrats put policy first . . . and their politics was even worse.”

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He said that “for an air traffic controller, we want the brightest, the smartest, the sharpest. We want somebody that’s psychologically superior,” adding that “I don’t think” people with “severe disabilities” should be air traffic controllers.

After appearing to blame air traffic controllers for the accident, he then turned his attention to the crew of the Black Hawk.

“You had a pilot problem from the standpoint of the helicopter, because it was visual. It was very clear night . . . the American Airlines plane had lights blazing”, Trump said.

“I have helicopters. You can stop a helicopter very quickly. It had the ability to go up or down, had the ability to turn, and the turn it made was not the correct one”, he added.

US defence officials said the Black Hawk was being flown by an experienced crew on routine training.

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Trump said that investigators were trying to determine whether the troops were using night vision equipment, which “may change your view” from the cockpit. A defence official said the army could not confirm whether the crew was wearing the night vision goggles.

Defence secretary Pete Hegseth said the three soldiers in the helicopter “were on a routine annual night flight retraining on a standard corridor for a continuity of government mission”.

“Tragically, last night, a mistake was made . . . there was some sort of an elevation issue that we have immediately begun investigating at the DoD and army level,” he said, adding that what happened was “absolutely unacceptable”.

Earlier on Thursday, officials said responders had recovered 28 bodies from the American flight and one body from the Black Hawk so far.

Trump said that Russian citizens were aboard the flight and that the US would facilitate the repatriation of their bodies. There has been no direct air travel between the US and Russia since Moscow’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

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Serious aviation accidents are rare in the US. The last major crash involving a US commercial aircraft was in 2009, when 49 people were killed on board a Colgan Air flight which crashed into a house near Buffalo, New York.

Trump urged people to keep flying.

Additional reporting by Felicia Schwartz in Washington

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What we know about the midair crash near Washington, D.C.

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What we know about the midair crash near Washington, D.C.

First responders search the crash site of American Airlines flight 5342 along the Potomac River near Ronald Reagan National Airport in Arlington, Va., on Thursday.

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Authorities believe there will likely be no survivors in the midair crash involving an American Airlines regional jet and a Black Hawk helicopter Wednesday night in the skies above the nation’s capital.

As of Thursday morning, rescue crews continue to search the frigid waters of the Potomac River, in which pieces of the jet and helicopter have fallen.

In a White House press briefing on the crash, President Trump said the search mission has turned into recovery efforts as of late morning.

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“We are one family today and we are all heartbroken,” he said.

Officials say 28 bodies have been recovered so far. There were 64 people on the plane and three on the Black Hawk. Among the passengers of the jet were members of the U.S. Figure Skating team, several Russian figure skaters, coaches and family members, according to U.S. Figure Skating and Russian state media.

The crash could be the most significant disaster in U.S. airspace in at least 15 years. The investigation is in its early hours and the cause of the midair collision is still unclear.

During a press briefing, Trump shared a number of possible theories of the cause of the crash, including that diversity efforts at the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) are to blame.

A plane is parked at the Reagan National Airport as the investigation continues into the crash of an American Airlines plane on Jan. 30, 2025 in Arlington, Va.

A plane is parked at the Reagan National Airport as the investigation continues into the crash of an American Airlines plane on Jan. 30, 2025 in Arlington, Va.

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How did this happen?

The midair collision happened as the jet, operated by PSA Airlines on behalf of American Airlines, was attempting to land at Reagan just before 9 p.m. EST on Wednesday. The plane was traveling from Wichita, Kan. It carried 60 passengers and four crew members (two pilots and two flight attendants).

The U.S. Army Black Hawk carried three soldiers and was traveling from Fort Belvoir in Virginia, the Pentagon says. The three were “experienced” crew members taking part in a training exercise, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said Thursday morning.

The jet was flying from south to north and lining up to land at the airport when it collided with the Black Hawk, which was flying from north to south, Washington D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser said during a press conference. The two aircraft collided at a low altitude.

Video recorded from the Kennedy Center, an arts and culture center located a few miles from the crash site, shows a small aircraft approaching the jet and then a bright explosion that lit up the dark night sky.

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According to audio archived by LiveATC.net, which provides live air traffic control broadcasts from air traffic control towers and radar facilities around the world, the plane had initially been cleared to land on runway 1. But an air traffic controller asked the flight crew if they could use runway 33 instead.

This is not an unusual request at this airport, which is incredibly busy and requires a delicate dance to handle the mix of arriving and departing aircraft in very complicated airspace around the D.C. area. There are many military and law enforcement helicopters always operating in the vicinity.

The crash comes after a growing trend of troubling near-collisions near runways across the country.

President Trump takes questions from reporters at the White House on Thursday about the collision of an American Airlines flight with a military Black Hawk helicopter near Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport.

President Trump takes questions from reporters at the White House on Thursday about the collision of an American Airlines flight with a military Black Hawk helicopter near Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport.

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With no evidence, Trump alleges DEI, night vision to blame for crash

President Trump began his press briefing Thursday morning with a moment of silence for the tragedy that occurred overnight. He then turned to speculating about a number of theories as to what might have contributed to the crash.

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Trump said, without evidence, that diversity initiatives at the FAA had compromised air traffic controller standards. His administration has made eliminating diversity, equity and inclusion programs a top priority across the federal government.

Asked by a reporter how he could conclude that diversity had to do with the crash while the investigation is ongoing, the president responded: “Because I have common sense, OK? And unfortunately, a lot of people don’t. We want brilliant people doing this.” He blamed past Democratic administrations for, he claimed, lowering standards.

The president also suggested that warnings of the imminent crash came too late from the air traffic controller and that the helicopter pilot “should have seen where they were going.” He said that night vision equipment could have contributed to the accident and alluded to “tapes” of the communications with air traffic control at the time, which have not been formally released.

He also questioned why the helicopter and American Airlines jet were at the same elevation. He said that the American Airlines flight was on the correct path.

It is unclear what, if any, evidence contributed to the president’s claims. An investigation is ongoing as to what went wrong and conclusive answers are likely to take some time.

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Trump picks a new acting FAA head after more than a week of vacancy

Trump said Thursday that he would immediately appoint an acting commissioner to the FAA. The agency had been without a leader for over a week after its previous head, Mike Whitaker, resigned on Inauguration Day. It is not unusual for FAA administrators to leave at the end of an administration, though some have stayed on longer.

Trump’s acting pick to fill the role is Christopher Rocheleau, whom the president described as a “highly respected” 22-year veteran of the agency.

Rocheleau held multiple roles at the FAA during his two-decade tenure, including acting administrator for aviation safety and executive director for international affairs, according to the National Business Aviation Association, where he most recently served as chief operating officer.

Prior to his time at the FAA, he served as an officer and special agent with the U.S. Air Force and was one of the early leaders of the Transportation Security Administration, which was created in the aftermath of 9/11.

What is the latest on recovery efforts?

John Donnelly, the chief of Washington D.C.’s Fire and EMS, said the first alert came in at 8:48 p.m. and they arrived ten minutes later. He said there are 300 responders from neighboring counties and cities as far north as Baltimore coming to assist in the immediate aftermath. It’s a “highly complex operation” with “extremely rough” conditions as temperatures hovered around 36 degrees overnight, according to NOAA’s National Ocean Service, with added wind.

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Donnelly said the crash site in the Potomac River is about eight feet deep and icy.

“It’s just dangerous and hard to work in. And because there’s not a lot of lights, you’re out there searching every square inch of space to see if you can find anybody. Divers are doing the same thing in the water. The water is dark. It is murky. And that is a very tough condition for them to dive in,” he said.”

The National Transportation Safety Board and American Airlines representatives are at the crash site.

Who was on the plane?

The names and ranks of the three Black Hawk crew members will be withheld for now as next of kin notifications are ongoing, Defense Secretary Hegseth said.

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The unit involved in the crash were of the Bravo Company, 12th Aviation Battalion and were flying out of Fort Belvoir, he said. The crew were taking part in their annual proficiency training flight and were undergoing night evaluation. They were also fitted with night vision goggles, he said.

“It’s a tragedy and a horrible loss of life,” Hegseth said.

U.S. Figure Skating confirmed in a statement that several members, including athletes, coaches and family members, were aboard the American Airlines jet and were returning home from the National Development Camp held in conjunction with the U.S. Figure Skating Championships in Wichita.

“We are devastated by this unspeakable tragedy and hold the victims’ families closely in our hearts. We will continue to monitor the situation and will release more information as it becomes available,” U.S. Figure Skating said.

Former Russian world champions — and husband and wife — Vadim Naumov and Evgenia Shishkova were identified as victims of the crash, according to Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov.

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Naumov and Shishkova were on both the Soviet and Russian figure skating teams and won the World Championships in pairs figure skating in 1994.

They moved to the U.S. in 1998 and appear to have stayed involved in the sport: They are both listed as coaches on the website of the Skating Club of Boston.

Trump said there were passengers from at least two other nations beyond the U.S. and Russia on the jet.

A flight information board shows cancelled flights at the Reagan National Airport. Operations at the airport are expected to restart at 11 a.m. EST.

A flight information board shows cancelled flights at the Reagan National Airport. Operations at the airport are expected to restart at 11 a.m. EST.

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How are operations at Reagan National impacted?

A ground stop was ordered at Reagan National Airport lasting for several hours after the crash. Operations at the airport have since resumed.

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“Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority CEO John Potter said, speaking at a Thursday morning news conference at the airport, “It’s safe. We’ve worked with all the federal agencies, FAA. And, you know, it’s been determined that we can open that airport safely.”

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Passenger jet and US Army helicopter collide over Washington

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Passenger jet and US Army helicopter collide over Washington

A passenger jet and a military helicopter crashed near Reagan National Airport outside Washington and plunged into the Potomac river, triggering a search for survivors in near-freezing temperatures.

The regional flight, operated by PSA Airlines for American Airlines, had originated in Wichita, Kansas. The Bombardier CRJ700 and a US Army Sikorsky H-60 Black Hawk helicopter collided as the jet approached the airport around 9pm.

American Airlines, which wholly owns PSA, said American Eagle flight 5342 carrying 60 passengers and four crew members, “was involved in an accident” at Reagan National. “Our concern is for the passengers and crew on board the aircraft,” the airline added. “We are in contact with authorities and assisting with emergency response efforts.”

Robert Isom, American Airlines chief executive, then released a video saying he was travelling to Washington. “We want to learn everything we can about today’s events. That work will take time,” he said.

Officials would not confirm if there had been any casualties, nor did they confirm if any people had been rescued. Many are feared dead.

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Washington’s Metropolitan Police Department said on X that “a multi-agency search and rescue operation is under way” in the Potomac river as about 300 federal, District of Columbia and state responders, including multiple teams of divers, searched for survivors. They were expected to work through the night.

“We’re going to be out there as long as it takes, and we’re obviously trying to get to people as soon as possible,” Washington mayor Muriel Bowser said during a media briefing at the airport early on Thursday. “We are going to recover our fellow citizens.”

A US defence official said there was a crew of three on board the helicopter but no senior personnel. The Black Hawk was on a training flight, according to Heather Chairez, spokesperson for the Army’s Joint Task Force-National Capital Region.

A second defence official said the status of the helicopter crew was unknown. The Army said the Black Hawk was operating out of Fort Belvoir, Virginia, about 20 miles from the Pentagon.

“We are working with local officials and will provide additional information once it becomes available,” the Army said in a statement.

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In a statement, US President Donald Trump said he had been “fully briefed on the terrible accident”. He later posted about the crash on Truth Social, saying it could have been prevented.

“The airplane was on a perfect and routine line of approach to the airport. The helicopter was going straight at the airplane for an extended period of time. It is a CLEAR NIGHT, the lights on the plane were blazing, why didn’t the helicopter go up or down, or turn,” he asked.

“Why didn’t the control tower tell the helicopter what to do instead of asking if they saw the plane. This is a bad situation that looks like it should have been prevented. NOT GOOD!!!” Trump added.

Emergency workers examine the wreckage of the plane in the Potomac River near Ronald Reagan Washington Airport on Thursday
Emergency workers examine the wreckage of the plane in the Potomac River © Andrew Harnik/Getty Images

Pete Hegseth, Trump’s recently confirmed defence secretary, wrote on X that the Army and defence department had opened an investigation into the crash.

The airport, located near the Pentagon and across from the National Mall, said all take-offs and landings had been stopped but the terminal remained open.

Sirens blared across the US capital as dozens of police cars swarmed both sides of the river near the scene of the crash, closing off roads to traffic, while helicopters with searchlights circled above and boats circled the wreckage.

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“I hope they find some people alive,” said Michael Wille, 38, who had joined a crowd on Daingerfield island, just south of Reagan airport, to catch a glimpse of the search and rescue effort. “But it’s been three hours now and the water is very close to freezing point.”

A spokesperson for Sikorsky, which makes the Black Hawk helicopter and is owned by defence contractor Lockheed Martin, said: “We have offered our support to the investigation and our customer.”

MHI RJ Aviation, which acquired the CRJ series of aircraft and supporting operations from Bombardier in 2020, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Jerry Moran, a senator from Kansas, told reporters he had lobbied for American Airlines to introduce a nonstop flight from Wichita to Reagan National Airport.

“That flight has been in existence about a year, and it is certainly true that Kansas and in Wichita in particular, we’re going to know people who are on this flight,” he said.

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