A tragic mid-air collision between a passenger jet and a navy helicopter over Washington, D.C., has resulted within the deaths of all 64 individuals on board the plane. The crash occurred round 9:00 p.m. on Monday, sending each plane plunging into the icy waters of the Potomac River.
Talking at a information convention at Reagan Nationwide Airport, Washington Hearth Chief John Donnelly confirmed that the operation had shifted from rescue to restoration.
“At this level, we don’t consider there are any survivors,” Donnelly stated, revealing that 28 our bodies had been recovered to date, together with one from the helicopter.
Difficult Search Efforts
Search and restoration groups, consisting of over 300 first responders, labored by way of the evening in harsh circumstances, battling sturdy winds, freezing temperatures, and icy waters.
Emergency vessels, geared up with floodlights, scoured the river at daybreak as divers looked for wreckage and stays.
“ These responders confronted excessive circumstances, but they remained devoted to their mission,” Donnelly stated.
Reason for the Crash Underneath Investigation
The reason for the collision stays unclear. Aviation officers confirmed that each plane had been following customary flight paths on a transparent evening with good visibility. Nevertheless, recordings from air visitors management reveal pressing directions for the helicopter to “pass behind†the passenger jet moments earlier than the crash.
“ I simply noticed a fireball, and it was gone,” one air visitors controller was heard saying after dropping contact with the helicopter.
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy urged that the crash may have been prevented. “Do I believe this was preventable? Completely,” he stated.
Victims Embody Distinguished Athletes
US Determine Skating confirmed that a number of athletes, coaches, and officers had been on the ill-fated flight. Among the many victims had been Russian determine skating champions Evgenia Shishkova and Vadim Naumov, who received the 1994 world pairs title.
The passenger jet, a Bombardier plane operated by an American Airways subsidiary, was carrying 60 passengers and 4 crew members on a flight from Wichita, Kansas, to Reagan Nationwide Airport when the collision occurred.
The helicopter, a Black Hawk carrying three U.S. Military troopers, was reportedly on a coaching mission.
Eyewitness Accounts and Political Reactions
Eyewitness Ari Schulman described seeing “ a stream of sparks” because the collision unfolded.
“ I first noticed the airplane flying usually, then out of the blue it banked laborious to the correct. The underside was glowing vibrant yellow, and sparks had been trailing behind it. It seemed like a Roman candle,” he advised CNN.
Former President Donald Trump weighed in on the incident through social media, questioning air visitors management’s dealing with of the scenario.
“The airplane was on an ideal and routine method. The helicopter was flying straight at it for an prolonged interval. Why didn’t air visitors management direct the helicopter away?” Trump wrote on Reality Social.
Airport Grounded, Investigation Ongoing
Following the crash, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) grounded all flights at Reagan Nationwide Airport. Regular operations had been anticipated to renew by 11:00 a.m.
American Airways CEO Robert Isom expressed “deep sorrow†over the tragedy, whereas U.S. Senator Roger Marshall of Kansas described the collision as “ nothing wanting a nightmare.”
Aviation consultants at the moment are analyzing how a contemporary passenger jet, geared up with collision-avoidance know-how, may collide with a navy helicopter in one of many nation’s busiest airspaces.
The crash marks Washington’s deadliest aviation catastrophe since 1982, when Air Florida Flight 90 crashed into the Potomac River after takeoff, killing 78 individuals.
