Washington
Mapped: How American Airlines plane collided with army helicopter near DC airport
The American Airlines regional jet was on the final approach to Ronald Reagan National Airport., when it collided midair with a military Black Hawk helicopter shortly before 9 p.m. Wednesday claiming the lives of 67 people.
So far, 40 bodies have been recovered from the Potomac River near Washington, D.C., as the names of the victims are being released by loved ones and officials.
Two “black boxes” have also been recovered from the wreckage, with a cockpit voice recorder and a flight data recorder taken for lab analysis, the National Transportation Safety Board said.
Jennifer Homendy, chair of NTSB, said Thursday: “We’re here to assure the American people that we are going to leave no stone unturned in this investigation.”
Questions have been raised about staffing and safety at the airport’s air traffic control after reports that one controller clocked off early, according to the New York Times.
The newspaper also reported that the helicopter may not have been traveling along its approved flight path.
Airport is closest to the capital
Ronald Reagan National Airport is located less than four miles from the White House. Flying into D.C. over the Potomac River, passengers get a glimpse of the famed Washington monuments from their window.
Flight 5343 was coming in to land on Runway 33 when disaster struck.
Wichita – Washington, D.C., flight only running for a year
The Wichita flight to Reagan National Airport has only been running for a year and politicians fought hard to get it going.
U.S. Senator Jerry Moran announced the American Airlines direct flight from Dwight D. Eisenhower National Airport to Washington Reagan National Airport would make travel “faster and more affordable” for Kansas residents in July 2023.
According to provisional data from FlightAware, American Eagle Flight 5342 took off from Wichita, Kansas, around 5:22 p.m. CST and was in the air for 2 hours and 35 minutes, with an estimated arrival time in Washington at 8:57 p.m. EST.
But the flight tracking data showed the flight’s status result as “unknown” and according to the visuals, the plane stopped on the east side of the Potomac River, roughly adjacent to the Blue Plains neighborhood in D.C.
Helicopter ‘may not have been on approved flight path’
The Black Hawk helicopter carrying the three soldiers may not have been traveling along its approved flight path, according to the New York Times.
According to sources who spoke to the newspaper, the helicopter was supposed to be flying in a different location and lower to the ground when it crossed Reagan National airspace.
The helicopter was flying too high and outside its approved path, several people with knowledge of the investigation told the Times.
Staffing and safety issues at air traffic control
Months before Wednesday’s deadly aircraft collision, lawmakers were engaged in a fierce debate over safety at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport.
Less than a year ago, several Washington-area lawmakers warned that a bill adding more flights to the airport could pose serious safety concerns. Last spring, a major aviation bill passed by Congress and signed by then-President Joe Biden added five new daily long-haul flights at Reagan National Airport.
The airport is among the busiest in the country and pilots routinely rate it among the nation’s most challenging, according to NBC Washington.
The air traffic control tower at Ronald Reagan National Airport was facing personnel issues on the night of the crash, according to the New York Times. Staffing “was not normal for the time of day and volume of traffic,” according to an internal preliminary Federal Aviation Administration safety report.
The controller who was handling helicopters near the airport “was also instructing planes that were landing and departing from its runways.”
“Those jobs typically are assigned to two controllers, rather than one,” the Times reported. The outlet noted that the tower at the airport had been understaffed for years.
One staff member was reportedly allowed to leave early on the night of the crash, the source told The Times. The specific timings were not immediately clear.
Soldiers aboard Black Hawk helicopter were “experienced”
The helicopter crew was “very experienced” and were not unfamiliar with the aircraft or the congestion that occurs in the airspace around D.C.
“Both pilots had flown this specific route before, at night. This wasn’t something new to either one of them,” Jonathan Koziol, chief of staff for Army aviation said. “Even the crew chief in the back has been in the unit for a very long time, very familiar with the area, very familiar with the routing structure.”
NTSB officials said it was “too soon to tell,” exactly what was the fault of the collision.
One of the soldiers has been named as Ryan O’Hara, the Crew Chief and father-of-one from Georgia.
“Ryan is fondly remembered as a guy who would fix things around the ROTC gym as well as a vital member of the Rifle Team. Ryan leaves behind a wife and 1-year-old son,” Parkview High School JROTC in Atlanta wrote in a Facebook post which has since been removed, WSB-TV Atlanta reported.
Chief Warrant Officer 2 Andrew Eaves was also on the army helicopter, Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves said on X.
In a Facebook post on Thursday, Eaves’ wife, Carrie Eaves said: “We ask that you pray for our family and friends and for all the other families that are suffering today. We ask for peace while we grieve,” the post read. “These families’ children do not need to suffer more pain.”
Divers search day and night in difficult conditions
A fleet of divers combed the Potomac River in search of survivors Wednesday night and continued Thursday morning.
So far, 40 bodies have been recovered.
“The challenges are access. The water that we’re operating in is about 8 feet deep,” District of Columbia Fire and EMS Chief John Donnelly said on Wednesday night. “There is wind, there is pieces of ice out there. So it’s just dangerous and hard to work in.”
He continued: “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.”
Authorities said they were “confident” all of the bodies would be recovered but it would “take time.”
Washington
Washington Lottery Powerball, Cash Pop results for May 11, 2026
The Washington Lottery offers several draw games for those aiming to win big.
Here’s a look at May 11, 2026, results for each game:
Winning Powerball numbers from May 11 drawing
24-30-37-56-64, Powerball: 07, Power Play: 3
Check Powerball payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Cash Pop numbers from May 11 drawing
09
Check Cash Pop payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Pick 3 numbers from May 11 drawing
7-6-9
Check Pick 3 payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Match 4 numbers from May 11 drawing
07-12-18-19
Check Match 4 payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Hit 5 numbers from May 11 drawing
07-09-11-32-42
Check Hit 5 payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Keno numbers from May 11 drawing
05-07-15-27-30-32-35-36-40-43-45-47-49-58-59-62-64-65-72-76
Check Keno payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Lotto numbers from May 11 drawing
01-18-28-34-37-48
Check Lotto payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Powerball Double Play numbers from May 11 drawing
09-13-34-42-59, Powerball: 01
Check Powerball Double Play payouts and previous drawings here.
Feeling lucky? Explore the latest lottery news & results
Are you a winner? Here’s how to claim your lottery prize
All Washington Lottery retailers can redeem prizes up to $600. For prizes over $600, winners have the option to submit their claim by mail or in person at one of Washington Lottery’s regional offices.
To claim by mail, complete a winner claim form and the information on the back of the ticket, making sure you have signed it, and mail it to:
Washington Lottery Headquarters
PO Box 43050
Olympia, WA 98504-3050
For in-person claims, visit a Washington Lottery regional office and bring a winning ticket, photo ID, Social Security card and a voided check (optional).
Olympia Headquarters
Everett Regional Office
Federal Way Office
Spokane Department of Imagination
Vancouver Office
Tri-Cities Regional Office
For additional instructions or to download the claim form, visit the Washington Lottery prize claim page.
When are the Washington Lottery drawings held?
- Powerball: 7:59 p.m. PT Monday, Wednesday and Saturday.
- Mega Millions: 8 p.m. PT Tuesday and Friday.
- Cash Pop: 8 p.m. PT daily.
- Pick 3: 8 p.m. PT daily.
- Match 4: 8 p.m. PT daily.
- Hit 5: 8 p.m. PT daily.
- Daily Keno: 8 p.m. PT daily.
- Lotto: 8 p.m. PT Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday.
- Powerball Double Play: 8:30 p.m. PT Monday, Wednesday and Saturday.
This results page was generated automatically using information from TinBu and a template written and reviewed by a Washington editor. You can send feedback using this form.
Washington
19-Year-Old Transgender University of Washington Student Fatally Stabbed
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This story contains descriptions of fatal violence against a transgender person.
The Seattle Police Department are searching for a suspect after a 19-year-old University of Washington student was stabbed to death in an off-campus student apartment complex on May 10.
Seattle Police Department Detective Eric Muñoz told NBC News that the victim is “believed to be a 19-year-old transgender female” who was enrolled at the university. The victim has not yet been publicly identified by name. She was found in the housing complex laundry room shortly after 10 p.m. on Sunday night.
The housing complex, Nordheim Court, is privately managed but affiliated with the university, located near an upscale shopping center in Seattle’s U-Village neighborhood. According to NBC News, residents received an official alert from UW to stay inside their homes and lock all windows and doors — an alert that was lifted around 1 a.m. with the acknowledgment that “a death investigation remains ongoing.”
According to SPD detective Eric Muñoz, police and the fire department attempted lifesaving measures but ultimately “pronounced the victim deceased at the scene.”
“Officers are actively searching for the suspect, believed to be a black male with a beard, 5’6-8” tall, wearing a vest with button up shirt, and blue jeans,” Muñoz wrote in a blotter report.
Muñoz noted that the victim would be identified by the medical examiner’s office in “the coming days.” The SPD did not immediately respond to Them’s request for comment.
This is the seventh known trans person to be violently killed in 2026. In mid-April, 39-year-old transmasculine farmer Luca RedBeard was fatally shot in rural New Mexico. Last week, police in Marion County, Florida opened a homicide investigation into the shooting death of a 29-year-old who went by multiple names and referred to “transitioning” on social media. In Kentucky, an investigation into the disappearance of 22-year-old trans college student Murry Foust remains ongoing.
Police are asking anyone with information about the University of Washington case to call the Violent Crimes Tip Line at 206-233-5000, emphasizing that anonymous tips are accepted.
This is a developing story.
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Washington
How the Sea Mar Museum Is Preserving Latino History in Washington
On a quiet stretch of Des Moines Memorial Drive in South Seattle, the Sea Mar Museum of Chicano/a/Latino/a Culture rises like a long‑overdue acknowledgment. Its brick exterior doesn’t shout; it invites. Inside, the rooms hum with the stories of families who crossed borders, harvested fields, organized classrooms, and built communities across Washington state—often without seeing their histories reflected anywhere on a museum wall.
For Rogelio Riojas, founder and CEO of Sea Mar Community Health Centers, the museum is a promise kept. “We wanted to make sure the contributions of Latinos in Washington state are recognized and preserved for future generations,” he told The Seattle Times when the museum opened in 2019. It was a simple statement, but one that captured decades of work—both visible and invisible—by the region’s Latino communities.
Walking through the galleries feels like stepping into a living archive. One of the most arresting sights is a pair of original farmworker cabins, transported from Eastern Washington. Their narrow wooden frames and sparse interiors speak volumes about the migrant families who once slept inside after long days in the fields. The cabins are not replicas or artistic interpretations; they are the real thing, weathered by sun, dust, and time. They anchor the museum’s narrative in the physical realities of labor that shaped the state’s agricultural economy.
Sea Mar describes the museum as “dedicated to sharing the history, struggles, and successes of the Latino community in Washington state,” a mission that plays out in photographs, letters, student newspapers, and oral histories contributed by community members themselves. These aren’t artifacts chosen from afar—they’re family treasures, personal archives, and memories entrusted to the museum so they can live beyond the kitchen tables and shoeboxes where they were once kept.
The story extends beyond the museum walls. Just steps away is the Sea Mar Community Center, a sweeping, light‑filled gathering space designed for celebrations, performances, workshops, and community events. With room for nearly 500 people, a full stage, a movie‑theater‑sized screen, and a catering kitchen, the center was built with one purpose: to give the community a place to see itself, gather, and grow. Sea Mar describes it as “a welcoming space for families, organizations, and community groups to gather, celebrate, and learn,” and on any given weekend, it lives up to that promise.
Together, the museum and community center form a cultural campus—part historical archive, part living room for the region’s Latino communities. Students come to learn about the Chicano activists who reshaped the University of Washington in the late 1960s. Families come to see their own histories reflected in the exhibits. Visitors come to understand a story that has long been present in Washington, even if it wasn’t always visible.
The Sea Mar Museum is open Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. and Saturdays from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m., offering free admission to anyone who walks through its doors. For many, it’s more than a museum—it’s a recognition, a gathering place, and a testament to the people who helped shape the Pacific Northwest.
Preserving Latino History and Community Life in Washington was first published on Washington Latino News (WALN) and republished with permission.
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