The Bombardier CRJ-700 involved in tragic midair crash was a safe and reliable workhorse for regional short-haul routes

Part of the wreckage is seen as rescue crews search the waters of the Potomac River after a passenger plane on approach to Reagan National Airport crashed into the river (Credit: Andrew Caballero-Reynolds—AFP/Getty Images)

• The jet’s sterling record won’t help Bombardier as the Quebec manufacturer divested its aircraft programs to focus on building private jets for businesses and the ultrawealthy.

The Bombardier CRJ-700 passenger plane involved in the tragic midair crash with a U.S. Army helicopter in the midnight skies of Washington, D.C., is a workhorse of the regional jet market with a sterling safety record.