Officials confident they will recover bodies of those killed in midair collision, fire chief says
Officials are confident they will recover all bodies of those killed in the midair collision Wednesday night of an American Airlines passenger jet and a military helicopter, DC Fire and EMS Chief John Donnelly said.
Sixty-seven people are believed dead: 64 aboard the passenger jet and three on the US Army Black Hawk helicopter. Twenty-eight bodies had been recovered already, he said Thursday morning.
“I’m confident that we will do that, and that will take us a little bit of time, though. It may involve some more equipment,” Donnelly said of the recovery effort, adding the next phase of the operation would be led by the National Transportation Safety Board.
Webcam Captures Chilling Final Moments
American Airlines Flight 5342 was on approach to Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport’s Runway 33 when it collided with a Sikorsky H-60 Black Hawk military helicopter from Fort Belvoir.
American Airlines CEO Robert Isom addressed the tragedy in a video message, expressing “deep sorrow” and pledging full cooperation in the investigation.
“We don’t know why the military aircraft came into the path” of the passenger jet, American Airlines CEO says
The CEO of American Airlines seemed to place blame for the midair collision between the American Airlines passenger jet operated by PSA and a US Army Black Hawk on the helicopter.
“At this time, we don’t know why the military aircraft came into the path of the PSA aircraft,” American Airlines CEO Robert Isom said Thursday morning.
Both the jet and the helicopter were taking a “standard flight pattern” Wednesday night, Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy said.
No one believed to have survived: Focus now switching to recovery operation, fire chief says
There are not believed to be any survivors from the midair collision over the Potomac River, and rescuers are now conducting a recovery operation, DC Fire and EMS Chief John Donnelly said.
“We are now at a point where we’re switching from a rescue operation to a recovery operation. At this point, we don’t believe there are any survivors from this accident,” he said in a Thursday morning news conference.
Twenty-seven bodies had been recovered from the passenger jet, and one had been recovered from the military helicopter, Donnelly confirmed.
Fuselage of jet found upside down in 3 sections in river
The wreckage of the American Airlines jet that collided with a military helicopter and plunged into the Potomac River was broken apart, Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy said.
Duffy said the work to recover the wreckage from the Potomac is underway.
“As that recovery takes place of the fuselage of the aircraft, NTSB is going to start to analyze that aircraft, partner with the FAA with all the information we have to get the best results possible for the American people,” he said.
It’s 6 a.m. in Washington. Here are the latest developments after a fatal aircraft collision
A large-scale search is underway after a midair collision between an American Airlines passenger jet carrying 64 people and a US Army Black Hawk helicopter with three soldiers on board near Reagan National Airport, just outside Washington, DC, officials said.
American Airlines Flight 5342, operated by PSA Airlines, was traveling from Wichita, Kansas, to Reagan National Airport Wednesday night.
Here’s what we know:
Collision on final approach: The crash occurred as Flight 5342 prepared for landing. The Black Hawk helicopter was on a training flight at the time of the incident, an official told CNN. Video of the incident shows a massive fireball erupting upon impact, and the two aircraft crashed into the Potomac River. Audio between the helicopter and air traffic control reveals communications were relayed seconds before the crash.
Deaths confirmed as rescue efforts continue: Fatalities have been confirmed, and rescuers have yet to find any survivors in the river, a law enforcement source said. The passenger jet is reportedly in pieces in the water, with the helicopter nearby. Conditions on the river have been described by officials as cold, windy and difficult.
Airport closure: Reagan National Airport is closed until at least 11 a.m. ET Thursday, officials said. A law enforcement source described the atmosphere as a “really somber mood, even at the rescue scene.” At the airport, family members of likely victims have gathered in an airport lounge as officials work to provide updates. Another news conference from authorities is expected at 7:30 a.m. ET.
Figure skating world shaken by tragedy: Several members of the figure skating community were passengers on the jet, US Figure Skating confirmed in a statement to CNN. Two world-champion Russian figure skaters were aboard the passenger plane, according to Russian state news agency TASS. A vigil in Wichita is planned for noon CT.
President weighs in on crash: President Donald Trump described the collision as “a bad situation that looks like it should have been prevented” in a social media post. It remains unclear whether his remarks were based on an official briefing.
