AN AMERICAN Airlines regional passenger jet carrying 64 people and a US Army Black Hawk helicopter collided midair and crashed into the Potomac River near Reagan Washington National Airport on Wednesday night.
Officials have not confirmed the number of casualties, but many are feared dead.
US Senator Roger Marshall of Kansas, where the flight originated, suggested that most, if not all, on board the aircraft had been killed.
"It's really hard when you lose probably over 60 Kansans simultaneously," Marshall said at a press conference at Reagan airport early on Thursday. "When one person dies, it's a tragedy, but when many, many, many people die, it's an unbearable sorrow. It's a heartbreak beyond measure."
Jack Potter, president and CEO of the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority, said first responders were in "rescue mode."
American Airlines confirmed that the aircraft had 60 passengers and four crew members. A US official said the Black Hawk helicopter, which was on a training flight, had three soldiers on board.
CBS News, citing a police official, reported that at least 18 bodies had been recovered. Two sources told Reuters that multiple bodies had been pulled from the river.
The collision occurred as the jet, which had departed from Wichita, Kansas, was preparing to land at Reagan airport. Air traffic control recordings indicate the helicopter crew was aware of the passenger plane's presence.
The Pentagon said an investigation had been launched into the incident.
President Donald Trump, in a post on Truth Social, questioned the helicopter crew’s actions and the role of air traffic controllers.
"The helicopter was going straight at the airplane for an extended period of time. It is a CLEAR NIGHT, the lights on the plane were blazing, why didn't the helicopter go up or down, or turn," Trump wrote.
"Why didn't the control tower tell the helicopter what to do instead of asking if they saw the plane? This is a bad situation that looks like it should have been prevented. NOT GOOD!!!"
Air traffic control recordings captured the final communication attempts with the helicopter, call sign PAT25, before the crash.
"PAT25, do you have a CRJ in sight? PAT25, pass behind the CRJ," an air traffic controller was heard saying at 8.47 pm (0147 GMT) in a recording on liveatc.net.
Seconds later, another aircraft called air traffic control, saying, "Tower, did you see that?"—apparently referring to the collision. An air traffic controller then instructed incoming planes to go around.
A webcam video showed the moment of impact, followed by an explosion lighting up the night sky.
Shortly after the crash, an air traffic controller was heard saying over the radio, "I just saw a fireball and then it was just gone. I haven't seen anything since they hit the river."
Rescue Efforts
Families gathered at the airport received little official information. A man was seen crying on the pavement outside the airport at 3 am.
Among the passengers were Russian former world ice skating champions Yevgenia Shishkova and Vadim Naumov, according to Russian state media.
US Figure Skating said that several US ice skaters, family members, and coaches returning from a camp in Wichita were also on board.
Washington, DC, fire chief John Donnelly said about 300 first responders were involved in the rescue operation, describing it as "highly complex."
"Conditions out there are extremely rough for the responders," Donnelly said. "It's cold. They're dealing with windy conditions."
Asked whether there were any survivors, he said, "We don’t know yet."
Hypothermia is a major concern.
"At these frigid water temperatures, the human body’s core temperature quickly drops. Exhaustion or unconsciousness can occur in as little as 15 to 30 minutes," said AccuWeather Senior Director of Forecast Operations Dan DePodwin.
Hours after the crash, a helicopter circled the area, shining a spotlight on the water as rescue teams searched with torches.
Airport CEO Potter said the airport would remain closed until at least 11 am on Thursday.
Past incidents
In 1982, Air Florida Flight 90 crashed into the 14th Street Bridge over the Potomac River, killing 70 passengers and four crew members. Only four passengers and one crew member survived.
The last major fatal commercial airline crash in the US was in 2009, when all 49 people aboard a Colgan Air flight died in a crash in New York state. One person on the ground was also killed.
A series of near-miss incidents in recent years has raised safety concerns.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) said PSA Airlines was operating Flight 5342 for American Airlines.
"We're cooperating with the National Transportation Safety Board in its investigation and will continue to provide all the information we can," said American Airlines CEO Robert Isom.
(With inputs from Reuters)
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