An American Airlines plane collided with an army helicopter when it was trying to land at Reagan National Airport, sparking a large search and rescue effort.
Plane Crash Reagan Airport
WashingtonAn American Airlines plane carrying 60 passengers and four crew members collided with an Army helicopter during Wednesday’s landing at Ronald Reagan National Airport near Washington, prompting hundreds of rescuers to search the icy waters of the Potomac River for survivors.
According to an Army spokesman, the chopper carried three men.
Rescue crews were still looking for survivors, so while the Associated Press reported several deaths, the precise number was still unknown.
Photos from the area showed what seemed to be the twisted wreckage of the aircraft’s fuselage, with boats encircling the partially submerged wing.
After an American Airlines plane carrying 60 passengers and four crew members collided with an Army helicopter during landing at Ronald Reagan National Airport near Washington, authorities said Thursday that at least 28 bodies had been recovered from the icy waters of the Potomac River.
Although the hunt for further casualties is still ongoing, officials said they do not expect to locate any more survivors. If verified, this incident would be the deadliest U.S. plane crash in almost 24 years.
The wreckage of the helicopter was also found, and the body of the plane was found in waist-deep water, upside down and broken into three halves.
Highlighted
Air traffic control audio in DC plane crash captures moments around collision
The pre-collision and post-collision minutes are revealed by air traffic control recordings from a jet crash near Ronald Reagan National Airport.
Potomac River
We know:
According to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), American Airlines flight 5342, which was traveling from Wichita, Kansas, collided with the military Blackhawk helicopter as it approached the airport runway at approximately 9 p.m. ET.
The jet, a twin-engine Bombardier CRJ-701 built in Canada, was flying at around 140 miles per hour at a height of roughly 400 feet when it abruptly dropped altitude over the Potomac River. Three soldiers are thought to have been on the helicopter, which was on a training trip, while American Airlines stated that there were 60 passengers and four crew members on the aircraft.
Recovery activities in the river are being coordinated by emergency personnel, including the Metropolitan Police Department, DC Fire and EMS, and many government agencies.
Fire and EMS Chief John A. Donnelly, Sr. stated at an early morning press conference that 300 first responders are assisting at the rescue location, despite the frigid water and windy, choppy circumstances they are facing.
The Potomac River near the crash scene had water temperatures of about 35.4 degrees Fahrenheit at the time of the incident, according to FOX 5 meteorologist Mike Thomas. Those who are exposed to such temperatures may lose consciousness in 10 to 15 minutes, according to the National Weather Service.
The FAA, Reagan National Airport, DC Fire and EMS, DC Police, the Associated Press, and FOX 5 DC reporting are the sources of the material used in this story.
