An MHIRJ CRJ700 operated by PSA Airlines for American Airlines diverted to Washington Dulles International Airport after apparently striking an object that holed the radome during takeoff from Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport.
The aircraft, registered N517AE and operating as American flight AA5561 bound for Birmingham, Alabama, departed runway 15 at approximately 23:30 on 9 March 2026. US Federal Aviation Administration preliminary notification states the jet struck an object on takeoff, prompting the diversion.
The crew halted the climb at 4,000 feet and landed safely on runway 19C at Dulles about 16 minutes later. Post-flight inspection confirmed a hole in the radome, the nose cone housing weather radar and avionics.
The FAA has not specified the object’s nature or radome damage extent. The Bombardier CRJ-701ER, powered by two GE CF34-8C1 turbofans, measures 106 ft 1 in long with a 76 ft 3 in wingspan and 24 ft 10 in height. It typically seats 65-70 passengers in regional configurations.
The aircraft returned to service the following day. No injuries were reported, and runway foreign object debris investigations are standard following such incidents at busy airports like DCA.