DOzens would have died after a regional flight of American Airlines, operated by PSA Airlines, collided with an army helicopter in the air on Wednesday evening while it was about to land at the airport National of Ronald Reagan Washington.
Some 300 stakeholders were deployed in the nearby Potomac river, where the accident occurred, to locate the survivors, according to local officials. There was no official announcement of the number of victims, but during a briefing Thursday morning, John Donly, chief of DC Fire and Emergency Medical Services, said he recovered 27 bodies of the plane and one of the helicopter.
“We are now at a point where we are moving from a rescue operation to a recovery operation,” said Donelly. “We don’t think there are survivors.”
The commercial jet had 64 people on board, while the army helicopter had three people on board, said the mayor of the Columbia district, Muriel Bowser, at a press conference early Thursday morning.
The collision occurred in one of the most watched air spaces in the United States, with its proximity to the White House, the American Capitol and other important government buildings. The cause of the collision remains unknown and an investigation carried out by the National Transportation Safety Board is underway.
Wednesday evening’s incident is the first important incident of the United States commercial aviation in 16 years, following the Buffalo accident in 2009, which killed 49 on board Colgan Air Flight 3407 and one ground.
Flights to Reagan airport have since been put to the ground and are expected to resume Thursday 11 a.m. at the earliest, according to an ad.
Here is what we know so far:
What happened?
According to a press release from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), a regional jet operated by PSA Airlines – a subsidiary of American Airlines – left Wichita, Kans. And collided in the air with a Black Hawk Black Hawk helicopter from the US US army.
A video of the supposed collision captured by an observation camera circulated on social networks, which experienced two illuminated elements in the converging sky before exploding in a fireball.
The air traffic controller, the audio time recovered from Liveatc.net revealed what happened for a few moments before the collision. The tower had cleared the plane to land on track 33, but a few seconds before the accident, an air traffic operator asked the helicopter – with the radio signal, Pat 25 – If the commercial jet – was Considered the CRJ – was in sight.
“Pat 2-5 Do you have CRJ in sight?” The air traffic operator said to the helicopter. After a brief break, he said: “Pat 2-5 go behind the CRJ.”
A few seconds later, dressings and an “oooh!” could be heard. Then: “Tour, have you seen this?”
Later, in the transmission flow, someone in the tower then said: “I don’t know if you caught what happened earlier, but there was a collision on the approach in 3 -3. We will stop operations for the indefinite future if you want to return to the door. You strongly suggest coordinating yourself with the company. Let me know what you want to do.
During the press conference on the morning of Thursday, January 30, mayor Bowser and other DC officials, the new transport secretary, Sean Duffy, told journalists that the night sky was “clear” on the evening of the collision , and that the flight models of the airplane flight models and the helicopter were “standard”.
Duffy said he and his team “would not rest before having answers to families and the flying audience”.
Who was on board the helicopter?
An American army spokesman confirmed in time that the helicopter expelled a very Belvoir, an army base in Virginia.
According to an American defense official, addressing CNN, the helicopter had a three crew and did not transport any VIP. The chief of the joint national professional force media, Heather, media chief, told CBS News that the helicopter was on a training flight and belonged to B Company, 12th Aviation Battalion.
Who was on the passenger jet?
American Airlines said the time that there were 60 passengers and four crew members aboard American Eagle Flight 5342, and that they are in contact with the authorities and help for emergency intervention efforts.
The Russian state agency of the TASS state reported that Evgenia Shishkova and Vadim Naunov, former world champions in figure pairs who became coaches, were aboard the plane.
The American craft skill organization told NBC News early Thursday morning that several athletes, coaches and family members were also on board, returning from a camp held alongside the American figure skating championships in Wichita. “We are devastated by this unspeakable tragedy and closely hold the families of the victims in our hearts,” said the organization.
The Association of Agents on Board-CWA (AFA-CWA), a union of more than 50,000 on-board agents in 20 airlines, said in a statement that two of its members worked in the flight. “We ask the public to keep families in your thoughts and to respect efforts to get information to dear beings first while everyone clings to hope for the survivors,” the statement said.
What do we know about the passenger jet?
According to the AP, flight 5342 went to Reagan national at an altitude of around 400 feet and around 140 MPH when it lost the altitude quickly on the Potomac river, citing data from the airplane transponder. The transponder then stopped transmitting about 2,400 feet from the track, roughly in the middle of the river.
Flight 5342, which flies from Wichita, Kansas, used a CRJ700 plane from the Canadian Bombardier Aircraft Company. PSA Airlines started using CRJ700 flights in 2002. The plane has a capacity of 65 seats.
The CEO of American Airlines, Robert Isom, told journalists that the flight captain and the first officer had spent six and two years respectively with the airline.
What is the state of research and recovery efforts?
According to Duffy during the Thursday morning briefing, the two planes were located in three different sections of water and recovery led by size will continue until Friday. He continued by saying that the NTSB and the FAA will work together to “analyze” the plane.
Donelly said that it expects recovery operations to last because the weather “is extremely difficult” and “dangerous” for stakeholders.
“They are dealing with relatively winding conditions.” The US Geological Survey has accumulated that water from the Potomac river near Washington, DC was around 34 ° F at the time of the accident and has since descended to 32 ° F as research operations and recovery continue.
Donelly explained that the divers had difficulties because the Potomac river is not lit and has “dark” and “troubles” waters. Donelly said the wind had transported debris on the river, which will take time to recover, after having distributed the duration of recovery operations.
At the press conference on Thursday morning, ISOM told journalists that family assistance centers had been created in the DC region and Wichita, Kan.
What did the US collision officials say?
President Donald Trump was “fully informed” Wednesday evening following the collision between the passenger jet and the army helicopter. He thanked the first stakeholders in a statement, but later posted on his Truth social account according to which the incident was a “bad situation” which “seems to have had to be prevented”.
Duffy, who has just been confirmed on Tuesday, said he spoke with Trump and defense secretary Pete Hegseth, as well as the governors of Kansas and Virginia. “We will offer total support to those who are on the ground, to the mayor, but also to the NTSB, who will lead [an] Investigation in this case, “said Duffy in the press briefing.
Senator Jerry Moran (R-Kans) was also in the briefing, who said: “I know this flight. I spoke it several times myself. I put pressure on American airlines to start having a direct non-stop flight service to DCA. “He said that the accident was a” very personal circumstance “, as in Kansas and in particular in Wichita,” we will know people who are on this flight – know their family members, know someone. “
Mayor Bowser, speaking during the briefing, said that she was “extremely sorry” for families who suffer a loss: “My sorrow for all people and the plane crew and our military staff on The helicopter is very deep. ” Bowser added: “We will recover our fellow citizens.”
Hegseth spoke Thursday to X (formerly Twitter) just after midnight, sharing a message he had received from the chief of the joint national processing force, Heather, chief of the media, who confirmed that a helicopter of The army had been involved in the collision. Accompanying the message, HegSeth said: “Prayers for all impacted souls and their families. The investigation was immediately launched by Army & Dod. »»
Vice-president JD Vance also discussed the situation via X, encouraging people to say a prayer for people involved in the open-air collision. “We are monitoring the situation, but for the moment we hope the best,” he said.
Chamber Mike Johnson in his statement said he was “saddened to learn horrible tragedy” at Reagan National Airport, and sought for everyone’s prayers.
Kansas Democratic Governor Laura Kelly said she was aware of the accident and that her thoughts “go to people involved”.
The governor of Maryland, Wes Moore, declared on X that he “supervised” the crash “closely monitored and that the Ministry of Emergency Management of Maryland had” lifted his center of emergency operations to a “improved” status in support”.
The governor of Virginia, Glenn Youngkin, shared his support for the first stakeholders, saying: “The first speakers in all of North Virginia, DC and Maryland mobilized quickly. I ask everyone to pray for passengers, crews, their families and the first stakeholders ”
