WASHINGTON, Jan 30: Authorities believe there are no survivors after a tragic midair collision between a passenger plane and an Army helicopter near Reagan Washington National Airport. The crash resulted in the plane, carrying 64 people, plunging into the frigid Potomac River.
John Donnelly, Chief of Washington’s Fire Department, confirmed at a news conference Thursday morning that 28 bodies had been recovered, prompting the shift from a “search-and-rescue operation to a recovery operation.”
“At this point, we don’t believe there are any survivors from this accident,” Donnelly stated.
The collision occurred just before 9 p.m. Wednesday when American Airlines Flight 5342, en route from Wichita, Kansas, attempted to land. It collided midair with a Black Hawk helicopter carrying three people. Authorities recovered 27 bodies from the plane and one from the helicopter.
Hundreds of first responders were involved in the search effort, which was hampered by the river’s near-freezing temperatures and poor visibility. Though officials have not yet determined the cause of the collision, both the plane and the helicopter were reportedly following standard flight patterns at the time.
“Everything was standard in the lead-up to the crash,” said Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy. “Clearly something went wrong, but further investigation will shed more light on the circumstances.”
Developments:
- Reagan National Airport will resume operations at 11 a.m. Thursday.
- President Donald Trump is expected to address the collision from the White House at 11 a.m.
- The U.S. Army confirmed that the helicopter involved was an UH-60 from Fort Belvoir, Virginia.
Army Helicopter on Training Flight
In a statement posted Thursday morning, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth revealed that the Army helicopter was conducting an “annual proficiency training flight” when the crash occurred. The crew, he said, was experienced and conducting a night evaluation using night goggles.
A senior aviation team has been deployed to investigate whether the helicopter was in the correct air corridor and altitude at the time of the collision. The Defense Department has not released the names of the service members onboard and is notifying their families.
Skating Community Impacted
Tragically, six members of the Skating Club of Boston, including two teenagers, were aboard the flight. Doug Zeghibe, CEO of the Skating Club, expressed the deep impact of the tragedy on the community.
“This will have long-reaching impacts for our skating community,” Zeghibe said. “The victims included two teenagers, their parents, and coaches.”
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