Hope ends for finding survivors as investigators say 67 feared dead after plane crashes into military helicopter
Emergency crews who waded through the frigid waters of the Potomac River through the night are now shifting to a recovery operation after an American Airlines plane carrying 64 people collided with an Army Black Hawk helicopter near Washington, D.C.’s Ronald Reagan National Airport.
The passenger flight, carrying 64 people from Wichita, Kansas, collided mid-air with a military helicopter carrying three around 9 p.m. Wednesday.
No survivors are expected, D.C. Fire and EMS Chief John Donnelly said at a Thursday press conference.
Emergency responders conducted their rescue mission through the night in what D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser described as “tough and heartbreaking conditions,” referring to ice-covered water and strong winds. The operation has now shifted to a recovery mission.
So far, 28 bodies have been recovered — one from the helicopter and 27 from the American Airlines flight.
“We probably lost 60 Kansans tonight,” Kansas senator Roger Marshall told reporters at a briefing early Thursday morning.
"It’s really hard when you lose probably over 60 Kansans simultaneously,” he said. “When one person dies it’s a tragedy, but when many, many, many people die, it’s an unbearable sorrow. It’s a heartbreak beyond major.”
A citywide prayer service is planned for Wichita on Thursday.
Washington DC air crash latest
Latest as of 0515 ET 30 January
An American Airlines regional jet collided mid-air with an Army Black Hawk helicopter over the Potomac River near Washington, D.C.'s Reagan National Airport.
All 67 people on board both aircraft are feared dead.
As of the latest update, at least 28 bodies have been recovered from the river.
Reagan National Airport is closed until at least 11 a.m. Thursday.
Investigators are examining the sequence of events leading up to the tragedy, including possible human error in communication between the Black Hawk crew and air traffic control.
American Airlines CEO Robert Isom expressed “deep sorrow” following the crash.
“This is a difficult day for all of us at American Airlines, and our efforts now are focused entirely on the needs of our passengers, crew members, partners, first responders, along with their families and loved ones," he said in a video statement after the tragedy.
Isom said he’ll be heading to Washington, D.C., to assess the accident and support employees.
The plane was in pieces in the water on Thursday and the helicopter was also in the water nearby.
Video from an observation camera at the nearby Kennedy Center shows two sets of lights slamming into each other near the airport and sparking a fireball.
The Federal Aviation Administration said In a statement that the crash occurred after a PSA Airlines Bombardier CRJ700 regional jet from Wichita collided in midair with a Sikorsky H-60 helicopter – colloquially known as a Black Hawk – while on approach to the runway at Reagan around 9 p.m. local time.
The Black Hawk was on a training flight at the time of the crash, Joint Task Force-National Capital Region media chief Heather Chairez told CNN.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt told Fox News’ Sean Hannity Wednesday night: “I have called over to my counterparts at the White House, and I can confirm that President Trump has been made aware of this situation.”
The president later released a statement, via Leavitt, that read: "I have been fully briefed on the terrible accident which just took place at Reagan National Airport. May God Bless their souls.”
The statement added: “Thank you for the incredible work being done by our first responders. I am monitoring the situation and will provide more details as they arise."
Trump later on social media called the crash a “bad situation” that “looks like it should have been prevented.”
“It is a CLEAR NIGHT, the lights on the plane were blazing, why didn’t the helicopter go up or down, or turn. Why didn’t the control tower tell the helicopter what to do instead of asking if they saw the plane,” Trump wrote. “This is a bad situation that looks like it should have been prevented. NOT GOOD!!!”
The Association of Flight Attendants said in a statement that two of its members were on board flight 5342.
“While we mobilize to support the families and crews directly affected by this incident, we are also sending strength to all first responders doing everything they can to bring survivors to safety,” the statement added. “Let us all stay focused on saving lives.”
New Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said that the department was “deploying every available U.S. Coast Guard resource for search and rescue efforts.”
She added: “We are actively monitoring the situation & stand ready to support local responders.” Noem expressed her concern and prayers for the victims and first responders.
The FAA and National Transportation Safety Board will investigate the crash, with the NTSB leading the probe.
Significant responses with dozens of firefighters, EMS rescuers and police, were reported at the scene of the crash in the Potomac River, with temperatures of 42 degrees Fahrenheit.
In audio from the air traffic control tower around the time of the crash, a controller is heard asking the helicopter, “PAT25 do you have the CRJ in sight,” in reference to the passenger aircraft.
“Tower did you see that?” another pilot is heard calling seconds after the apparent collision. The tower immediately began diverting other aircraft from Reagan.
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