Rescue effort turns to recovery after American Airlines jet carrying 60 collides with military chopper over DC
At least 28 bodies have been pulled from the icy Potomac River after a Black Hawk helicopter collided midair with a commercial plane, splitting it in half, near Reagan National Airport in Virginia on Wednesday night.
Flight 5342, a PSA Airlines Bombardier CRJ700 regional jet operating for American Airlines and traveling from Wichita, Kan., collided with the military chopper while approaching Runway 33 at the Washington airport around 9 p.m., according to the Federal Aviation Administration.
All 67 people aboard the jet are now believed dead, officials said Thursday morning during a somber news conference.
About 300 first responders and divers are part of an active search of the Potomac — which is a perilous 35 degrees — for the 60 passengers and four crew members aboard the American Airlines flight and the three soldiers traveling in the military chopper, with first responders recovering the remains of more than 30 people, two sources told NBC Washington.
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No survivors have been found, the outlet added.
Officials did not confirm the recovery of any passengers on either aircraft at a press conference early Thursday.
“Our concern is for the passengers and crew on board the aircraft,” American Airlines told The Post in a statement.
“We are in contact with authorities and assisting with emergency response efforts.”
The Army UH-60 helicopter involved in the crash was based at Fort Belvoir in Virginia, according to the Army and Pentagon, with the flight reportedly a training exercise, Fox News reported.
The military chopper, which can carry 15 people, was not transporting any VIPs, a defense official told CNN.
Earthcam footage from the Kennedy Center about five miles north captured what appeared to be a fireball erupting in the sky during the midair explosion.
Audio from air traffic control captured the moment the flight safety agency reported the horrific midair collision — just minutes before the American Airlines flight was cleared to land.
“It was probably out in the middle river. I just saw a fireball and then it was gone,” the air traffic controller can be heard saying on audio shared on X.
“I haven’t seen anything since they hit the river. But it was CRJ and a helicopter that hit, I would say, maybe a half-mile off the approach into 33,” the controller says in a call to Fire Command.
Fireboats quickly responded to the Potomac River, DC Fire and EMS Department officials said, with a “large amount of debris in the water” and a “casualty collection point” near the Metropolitan Police Department’s hangar where it houses its helicopter, according to emergency dispatchers.
“It’s a highly complex operation,” DC Fire and EMS Chief John Donnelly said during the press conference. “The conditions out there are extremely rough for the first responders, it’s cold, they’re dealing with windy conditions.”
The water where divers are searching for victims is “about 8 feet deep. There is wind. There are pieces of ice out there. So it’s just dangerous and hard to work in,” Donnelly added.
The American Airlines plane reportedly split in two and remains upside down and unstable as it floats in 7 feet of water near the shore of Joint Base Anacostia-Bolling, NBC 4 reported, citing sources.
Divers have yet to make entry into the helicopter due to a lack of stability, the outlet reported.
“I have been fully briefed on the terrible accident which just took place at Reagan National Airport. May God Bless their souls,” President Trump said in a statement.
“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.”
Newly minted Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said at the press conference he spoke with Trump and would offer “full support” to first responders.
The National Transportation Safety Board will conduct an investigation into the crash.
All takeoffs and landings at Reagan National Airport have been halted, the airport announced on X.
The flight path from Wichita began on Jan. 8, 2024, after Sen. Jerry Moran (R-Kan.) secured the first direct flight from central Kansas to the nation’s capital.
An emotional Moran said during the press conference that he had long advocated for that direct flight between the two cities.
He and his fellow Kansas senator, Roger Marshall, both expressed sorrow, with Moran stressing, “We’re going to know people who are on this flight.”
“Know their family members,” he added. “Know somebody.”
“This is a time when we’ll have to join arms together and help each other out,” said Marshall.
Reagan Airport is expected to open again at 11 a.m., officials said early Thursday.
The FAA and National Transportation Safety Board will investigate the cause of the crash.
“If you believe you may have loved ones on board Flight 5342, call American Airlines toll-free at 800-679-8215. Those calling from outside the US can visit news.aa.com for additional phone numbers. Family members in Canada, Puerto Rico or the US Virgin Islands can call 800-679-8215 directly,” the airline said in its statement.
The crash came just weeks after the 43rd anniversary of an Air Florida flight going down in the Potomac due to bad weather, killing 78 people on Jan. 13, 1982.
With Post wires
