An American Airlines passenger plane has crashed midair into a military Black Hawk helicopter while attempting to land at Reagan National Airport in Washington DC. This was just before 9pm local time on Wednesday.
American Eagle Flight 5342 from Wichita, Kansas, had 64 people on board and emergency services are currently searching the nearby Potomac River after the plane plummeted into the water.
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American Eagle flight crashed
The flight was an American Eagle flight, operated by PSA, and is a regional brand of American Airlines. It had 60 passengers and four crew members while on its way from Wichita, Kansas.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) confirmed the crash involved a Sikorsky H-60 helicopter and a PSA Airlines Bombardier CRJ701 twin-engine jet regional jet, according to Sky News.
Responders are searching the river
There is yet to be an official number of fatalities or injuries, but 28 bodies have been recovered from the crash so far, with no survivors expected, according to Sky News. Divers are exploring three debris fields in search of bodies and survivors.
A large search and rescue operation is taking place, with DC fire chief John Donnelly saying 300 responders are working in “extremely tough conditions.”
The crash happened while landing
The American Eagle flight was approaching runway 33 at Reagan Washington National Airport for landing while the Black Hawk helicopter was on a training flight when the collision took place.
“We don’t know if there are survivors, but we are working on it,” DC fire chief John Donnelly said.
Popular figure skaters were on board
Among the 64 people who were on board the American Airlines plane were Russian figure skaters Yevgenia Shishkova and Vadim Naumov, according to Russian news agency Tass.
The married figure skaters won the 1994 World Figure Skating Championship.
Other athletes were on board
The governing body for the sport, US figure skating, has confirmed that several of its members were on board the flight.
“These athletes, coaches, and family members were returning home from the National Development Camp held in conjunction with the U.S. Figure Skating Championships in Wichita, Kansas,” a statement said.
US figure skating gave condolences
“We are devastated by this unspeakable tragedy and hold the victims’ families closely in our hearts. We will continue to monitor the situation and will release more information as it becomes available,” the governing body’s statement continued.
The plane had 60 passengers and 4 crew members, as confirmed by the airline.
Air traffic audio was released
Air traffic audio which was recorded moments after the crash has been released.
In it, a controller is heard saying, “Um, I just saw a fireball and then it was just gone. I haven’t seen anything since they hit the river. But it was a CRJ [the type of plane that crashed] and a helicopter that hit, I would say a half-mile off the approach.”
The plane split into two
Sources told local station NBC News in Washington DC that the plane split into two pieces upon collision and is now in around seven feet of water in the Potomac River. It’s also said that the helicopter is upside down and unstable.
The US President commented
Newly-appointed US President Donald Trump said he was briefed on the situation and is monitoring it, describing it as a “terrible accident.” He also started speculating on what could have caused the crash, saying the angle which the helicopter was flying at was “unbelievably bad.”
Transport secretary Sean Duffy, appointed by Trump, says he is committed to the victims’ families, stating “this should not have happened” and that they will “get to the bottom of this” according to Sky News.
The airport is temporarily closed
As soon as the plane crashed, air traffic controllers started directing the coming planes elsewhere. The Reagan Washington National Airport will be temporarily closed until at least 11am local time.
Search and rescue operators are still looking for bodies and survivors in the river.
