What we know so far about Washington DC plane crash

A tragic incident occurred near Washington DC on Wednesday evening when a passenger plane collided with a helicopter in mid-air. Officials have stated that they do not expect any survivors from this devastating accident. The passenger plane was carrying 64 individuals, including both passengers and crew members, and it ultimately landed in the Potomac River following the collision. The helicopter involved had three soldiers on board. Among the passengers on the plane were figure skaters from the United States, and it has been confirmed that some Russian citizens were also present. Search and rescue teams worked tirelessly throughout the night in freezing temperatures to search for survivors, but authorities have now shifted their focus to a recovery operation.

The collision took place around 9:00 PM local time when a PSA Airlines jet, operating as American Airlines flight 5342, struck a US Army helicopter as it was approaching Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport. Reports indicate that the passenger plane broke into several pieces and sank several feet into the river, while the helicopter ended up upside down on the water. The aircraft involved was a Bombardier CRJ700, which had departed from Wichita, Kansas, and was carrying 60 passengers along with four crew members. The Pentagon confirmed that the helicopter was a Sikorsky H-60 that had taken off from Fort Belvoir in Virginia, with three US soldiers on board. According to Washington DC Mayor Muriel Bowser, the helicopter was on a training flight and belonged to B Company, 12th Aviation Battalion from Fort Belvoir. A recording shared online by LiveATC. net, which streams air traffic control communications, appears to capture the moments leading up to the crash, with a controller warning the helicopter about the incoming plane but receiving no response. The FAA has announced that it will investigate the incident in collaboration with the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB).

In a Thursday morning update, DC Fire and EMS Chief John Donnelly stated that officials do not believe there are any survivors from this tragic accident. He reported that teams had recovered 27 bodies from the plane and one from the helicopter. Earlier reports indicated that at least 30 bodies had already been found. The US Figure Skating organization expressed its sorrow, stating that several members of their skating community were on board the flight, including athletes, coaches, and family members returning home from a development camp in Kansas. The Kremlin confirmed that Russian citizens were also on the plane, including ice skating coaches and former world champions Yevgenia Shishkova and Vadim Naumov. Approximately 300 responders on rubber boats were deployed to search for survivors, but the conditions were challenging due to wind and pieces of ice on the water.

Eyewitnesses have shared their accounts of the crash. Ari Schulman told NBC Washington that he witnessed the plane crash while driving on the George Washington Parkway, which runs alongside the airport. He described the plane's approach as normal until he saw it bank hard to the right, with streams of sparks trailing underneath, illuminating its belly. At that moment, he realized that something was very wrong. Having observed plane landings at the airport before, he noted that the underside of a plane should not be visible in the dark. The sparks, he said, resembled a giant roman candle, extending from the plane's nose to its tail. Another witness, Jimmy Mazeo, recalled seeing what appeared to be a white flare in the sky while dining with his girlfriend at a nearby park. He mentioned that planes approaching Ronald Reagan Airport seemed to be flying in irregular patterns. Initially, he did not think much of what he saw until emergency services began arriving at the scene.

US officials, including President Donald Trump, have expressed their condolences regarding the accident. Trump stated that he had been fully briefed on the terrible situation and was closely monitoring the developments. He offered prayers for the victims, saying, 'May God Bless their souls,' and thanked the first responders for their incredible work. On his TruthSocial account, he raised questions about how the incident could have occurred, stating, 'This is a bad situation that looks like it should have been prevented. NOT GOOD! ' Vice-President JD Vance also called for prayers for those involved in the incident. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, whose appointments were recently confirmed, stated that they were monitoring the situation closely. When asked if flight paths near Ronald Reagan Airport would be altered following the incident, Duffy responded, 'We will take appropriate action if necessary,' adding that a review of the events would take place. American Airlines CEO Robert Isom expressed his deep sorrow regarding the collision in a video posted on the airline's website, a sentiment echoed by Roger Marshall, a US senator from Kansas, who described the situation as a 'heartbreak beyond measure.

In the United States, major incidents like this are relatively rare. The most recent comparable crash occurred in 2009 when an aircraft crashed while landing in Buffalo, New York, resulting in the deaths of all 49 people on board and one person on the ground. The airspace above Washington DC is both busy and highly controlled, accommodating domestic and international traffic at two airports, along with additional factors such as presidential flights, heavy military traffic, and flights around the Pentagon. Passenger airliners must adhere to fixed flight plans, while military pilots operate under strict instructions from air traffic controllers but have the freedom to deviate and a duty to 'see and avoid' other aircraft.