​An American Airlines plane and an Army helicopter collided Wednesday night near Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport.  Read More  Breaking News

No survivors expected after American Airlines plane, military helicopter collide near airport

President: ‘We are in mourning … Our hearts are shattered alongside yours and our prayers are with you’; Rescue transitions to recovery

Good morning. I’m Muriel Bowser. I’m the mayor of Washington DC. We are here at Reagan National Airport, uh, to provide an update on the tragic events of last night. I’m joined by US Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, DC Fire and EMF’s Chief, uh, John, John Donnelly, uh, American Airlines CEO Robert Eisen. The MY the Washington Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority CEO Jack Carter, United States Senator Mark Warner, United States Senator Tim Kaine, US Representative, uh, Don Beyer, as well as the Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department Pamela Smith, uh, and we are joined by first responders from across the metropolitan Washington region. I speak for all of us when I say and certainly all Washingtonians how uh very sad we are uh for. American Airlines, for the United States Department of Defense, and for all Americans for the loss of life um that happened with the collision of these aircrafts. We know, uh, that includes families from across our region as well as in Kansas and across the country. Uh, this morning we all share in *** profound sense of grief. I do want to thank the first responders who acted quickly last night, who ran towards danger, went into *** very frigid river and have worked throughout the night. Uh, Chief Donnelly reported in last night, last night’s briefing that we have *** strong mutual aid agreement in our region, and those teams have worked together throughout the night in really tough and heartbreaking conditions, and we should all thank them for their heroic efforts. So we’ll have several updates today. I’m first gonna um turn to the Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy, and uh then you will hear directly from Chief John Donnelly with *** situational update. Thank you Mayor again, uh Sean Duffy here, uh, Secretary of Transportation, uh, we wish, uh, we were, uh, gathering for different purposes, uh, today. I just wanna let you know that, uh, the, the Department of Transportation, the FAA, along with the White House, President Trump, uh, local, state, uh. And uh federal partners all working together on this incident in unison. I couldn’t be prouder of this team that’s been assembled uh working tirelessly. uh Mayor, I want to thank you specifically for your work. Uh, *** few details I’d like to give all of you, uh, and, and some of you reported this, but last night if you live in the DC area, you would know that this was *** clear night. Last night The helicopter was in *** standard pattern. Uh, if you live in the DC area, you’ll see helicopters up and down the river. This flight pattern is seen oftentimes when you live in DC. This was *** standard flight pattern last night as well. The American Airline flight coming in to land was in *** standard flight pattern as it was coming into DCA, so this was not unusual with *** military aircraft flying the river and aircraft landing at DCA. And again, if you live in the area, you’ll see that frequently with uh those two aircraft working together. As you uh many of you reported, we have, uh, located the uh the, the, the two aircrafts. Uh, the fuselage of the American Airline plane was inverted. It’s uh been located in three different sections. Uh, it’s in about waist deep water, uh, so that recovery is gonna go on today, uh, as that recovery takes place of the of the fuselage of the aircraft. Uh, NTSB is going to, uh, start to analyze that aircraft, partner with the FAA with all of the information we have, uh, to get the best results possible, uh, for the American people. I would just say that. Safety is our expectation. Everyone who flies in American skies expects that we fly safely, that when you depart an airport, you get to your destination. That didn’t happen last night, and I know that President Trump, his administration, the FAA, the DOT, we will not rest until we have answers for the families and for the flying public. You should be assured that when you fly, you’re safe. Thank you. Is that yours? Thank you, Secretary. Thank you, Mayor. I’m joined today by with uh Fire Chief Bonnett from the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority, um, and I’m John Donnelly, Chief of the District of Columbia Fire and EMS department. Uh, Last night at 8:48, the uh control tower sounded an alert which, uh, alerts responders to respond to *** report of an aircraft crash on or near the airport that sets off an immediate response from the airport authority fire department, from the District of Columbia and Metropolitan Harbor Patrol fireboats and other fire boats on the river in order to support that type of operation. Uh, very quickly this call escalated. It became apparent, you know, the responders realized that they had *** plane crash, um, and immediately escalated to *** response that ultimately included about 300 people last night. Uh, these responders found extremely frigid conditions. They found heavy wind, they found ice on the water, and they’re operated all night in those conditions. I’d like to take *** moment to acknowledge the agencies that responded in addition to DC Fire and EMS and the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority, Montgomery County Fire Department, the Prince George’s County Fire Department, the Charles County Fire Department, the Baltimore County Police Department, the Anna Arundel County Fire Department. The Alexandria Fire Department, the Arlington County Fire Department, the Fairfax Fire Department, the Prince William Fire Department, the Baltimore City Police Department, the Maryland State Police, the Maryland Natural Resources Police, the Department of Defense, the Joint Base in um bowling. Fire department and uh the staff there, the US Army, the US Coast Guard, the United States Park Police, the Metropolitan Police Department, the FBI and the NTSB. Um, despite all those efforts, we are now at *** point where we are switching from *** rescue operation to *** recovery operation. Um, At this point we don’t believe there are any survivors from this accident. And we have recovered 27 people from the plane and 1 from the helicopter. Uh, the district office of the medical examiner has lead on reuniting these bodies and these people, uh, with their loved ones, and we will continue to work to find all the bodies and collect them, uh, and reunite them with their loved ones. We should also acknowledge that the Virginia Medical Examiner and the army uh medical examiner are involved in this, uh, operation and *** very important part of getting uh people identified, so. His name Our hearts are certainly with um all of the crew uh in American Airlines and we’ll hear from CEO ISA. Thank you, Mayor. Uh, good morning. I’m Robert I’m the CEO of American Airlines. I want to express my sincere condolences for the accident that happened at DCA last night. We’re absolutely heartbroken for the family and loved ones, the passengers and crew members. And also for those that were on the military aircraft. Our focus right now is doing everything that we can to support all of those involved and also the PSA Airlines team. This is devastating. It’s, um, we are all hurting incredibly. We urge any family and friends looking for information about their loved ones to call our designated helpline. And that’s *** 1-800-679. 82151800679. 8215. And here’s what I can share at this early stage. Uh, American Eagle flight 5342 operated by PSA Airlines traveling from Wichita, Kansas to Reagan National Airport, was involved in an accident just before 9 p.m. local time on final approach into Reagan National. It collided with *** military aircraft on an otherwise normal approach. And at this time we don’t know why the military aircraft came into the path of the PSA aircraft. Flight 5342, *** CRJ 700 was under the command of four crew members. They carried 60 passengers, as you know, for *** total of 64 people on board. In addition to local resources already here in DC, American Airlines has activated our care team, and that’s *** group of specialists that are trained to support these types of responses. These team members are on site are arriving soon. And additionally, we have members of our GO team that are on the ground here in DC and they’re being deployed uh with resources to do everything that we can to take care of the needs of the families and the loved ones. Of the passengers and crew members, and that is our sole focus. And we’re so grateful for the first responders. They’ve been working through the night with courageous efforts. We’re actively working with local, state, and federal authorities on emergency response efforts and closely coordinating with PSA airlines as they cooperate fully with the NTSB on the investigation. I know that there are many questions at this early stage. I just won’t be able to answer many, but we’ll provide additional information as it comes. Thank you. I want to introduce the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority CEO Jack Potter. The authority manages uh Washington Reagan Washington National, and Dulles International. Good morning and thank you Mayor. Uh, first, let me begin by expressing our condolences for all the victims of this flight and for their families. There’s *** lot of grieving going on and so, uh, we’re very sympathetic to that. I want to echo what was said about the first responders. When there’s *** problem in this area, everybody drops everything and they rush to where the problem is. So I want to thank the chief, the entire team from Washington DC, but just as important, the list of folks that the chief described the federal authorities have been here in mass and so, uh, *** lot of uh effort was brought to bear. Unfortunately we weren’t able to rescue anyone. Uh, but we are in the recovery mode right now, uh, and I just want to, uh, you know, last night I expressed the fact that we hope to open at 11 o’clock today and that is still the case. We’re gonna open the airport at 11 o’clock and again, uh, condolences to the families, uh, and, uh, thanks to the many, many who are still out there working very, very hard to complete this recovery. Thank you, Mayor. Um, I do want to acknowledge that, um, the Virginia Transportation Secretary is here, uh, in addition to the Alexandria mayor, uh, and I will, um, like to ask, uh, members of the Virginia, um, congressional delegation, uh, to the podium next, US Senator Mark Warner, uh, followed by Tim Kaine and Representative Don Beyer. Um, thank you, Mayor. Uh, I want to join with everyone else and express my condolences for the victims. For folks who don’t live in the DMV, um, We are made up of *** lot of jurisdictions, Reagan Airports in Virginia. Across the river we have Maryland, obviously the district. But has been indicated by the chief when tragedy happens. All those distinctions between the various jurisdictions and our federal partners all disappear, and I want to again thank all the first responders. On *** personal note, I’ll just add that Literally, I, I now know I was coming back from the district. From *** dinner to my home in old town Alexandria. And while I did not see the collision, Um I wondered I’ve never seen this many. Red lights streaming towards the airport and across the river in Maryland about this time my phone started blowing up and I realized that this accident had taken place. There’ll be *** time to figure out, I know NTSB will have *** briefing later in the day, um, but, um, to the victims, our condolences to the first responders, our thanks. Um, the sorrow, thanks and questions. So sorrow as all have expressed to the crew, to the passengers, to the soldiers, to their families, to their friends, to their loved ones, to people who are still trying to get information and unsure. Whether their loved ones have been lost. We offer our profound condolences to them and our sorrow for this tragedy. Thanks, I’ll echo, Mayor, what you began with when you see *** challenge like this and you see people from so many different agencies, local, state, federal with different uniforms, different badges, but working in such *** coordinated way even in the midst of *** tragedy, it does give you *** sense of appreciation and pride in people’s willingness to. Come to the danger and work together and I started to see that as *** local official 30 years ago in Richmond and definitely have seen it here and then finally questions they’re gonna be *** lot of questions obviously *** lot of questions and that’s what the NTSB’s job is is to be an independent investigator of incidents like this and they are here we were in dialogue with them earlier today they’ve been here since they got the alert and they will be doing the work and playing lead in. Answering the many questions that we have and that’s as it should be it’s not *** time to speculate it’s *** time to investigate and get answers to the questions we need and I have confidence that will be done. Thank you. Following up on the senator, I think grief, thanks, and service. With millions and millions of Americans traveling every year, we are all grieving, uh, knowing that it could have been our loved ones, it could have been us, and our hearts go out to all those who have lost folks in the most partisan place also, it’s, I’m really thankful that Democrats and Republicans, people from all over have come together to try to make sure that the people are served as *** local representative, I want the families to know that our office. is available to serve you in any way we possibly can through this time of grief and transition and loss. And then also just note that we’re deeply grateful for the people who risked their lives last night on *** moment’s notice and spent the whole night on the river and the ice and the wind serving us and then finally, as Senator Warner noted, after the NTSB investigation, we’ve got to make sure that at the federal level and with the support of Virginia and Maryland DC we’re doing everything we can to make sure this does not happen again. So, um, with that, it, it’s been said already that the National Transportation Safety Board, um, becomes the lead agency in the investigation, um, our jurisdiction and, and DC where the crash occurred. Um, over the river is, um, concludes, uh, as we, uh, in, in the leadership role of the unified command as we shift to *** recovery effort, uh, we expect the National Transportation Safety Board, um, to provide briefings to the press later in the day, uh, so at this point we can take uh *** few questions, yes. People are safe to fly. Um, what we’re talking, what we can talk about today is what happened, uh, here with the collision of these vehicles. Uh, we said what we know and that the National Transportation Safety Board continues to, uh, investigate. I don’t know that any of us have been briefed on anything that would suggest any other aircraft are implicated. Yes. You’re still missing 30+ people in the water. What are some of the challenges in recovering them right now? Chief. Um, so the rescue operation or the recovery operation goes on. It’s *** lot of touch and feel in the different parts of the plane or in the helicopter and um the crash area is *** little spread out, so we’ve got some work to do, um, and I, I think it’s *** pretty normal type of situation. I don’t think it’s extraordinary. How is this? Um, so the wind started blowing last night, so we’ve had debris travel from the airport down as far as the Wilson Bridge. Uh, I couldn’t tell you. Less than *** mile. Uh, this is *** question for, um, CEO Carter, um. You’re gonna open the airport at 11 o’clock. How are you gonna do have on operations, on passengers, on people’s anxiety, how are we gonna be. Well, We’re gonna open the airport at 11 o’clock. It’s safe. We’ve worked with all the federal agencies, FAA, uh, and you know it’s been determined that we can open that airport safely. Uh, the recovery effort that’s on our property is on the waterfront. Our primary runway 1119 will be open. It’s away from. Any activity, we’re gonna have *** secure area around that. So, uh, all are comfortable that we can get back to operations. Now, each airline will, uh, announce or, or communicate to their passengers. What, what their operations are going to be. Obviously, their networks were disrupted overnight and so we might have *** slow recovery, but the bottom line is we will begin to have aircraft move in and out of this airport at 11 o’clock. OK, so 123. recorder I don’t think we can say anything about what’s in in in TSB’s purview. You mentioned that the airport opens 3 hours from now. There’s *** lot of helicopter traffic from the military, US park police, and all that. Will helicopters be flying right through here as well, uh, beyond the recovery efforts? Um, I don’t know the answer to that. Jack, do you have anything to add? We don’t have anything to add about that. Yes. Sure The US still has So the question is, can I guarantee the American flying public that the United States has the most safe and secure airspace in the world? And the answer to that is absolutely yes we do. We have early indicators of what happened here and I will tell you with complete confidence we have the safest airspace in the world. What does that look like so far? The flight manifest. I you, can you add anything? All I can say is that we have published the 1-800 number. We have family assistance centers set up here in DCA. We do in Wichita as well. I’m not at liberty to give the number of families that have been. That have used those services, but we are making that use. We have over 100 team members that are either here or on their way that are specially trained to work with family members, handle travel arrangements, hotel arrangements, incidentals. To make sure that we’re taking care of people in any way that they can, as you know as our teams are hurting and suffering as as as our our passengers and their families need assistance, we’re doing everything we can. I don’t have any other more information on that right now. Chief Donnelly, can I ask you to describe the next phase of the investigation? How confident are you that you’ll be able to recover all 67 of these bodies? Even the degree that’s also. and I would like to ask anyone here perhaps. Deportation secretary or Mr. Isa, if we know anything about these victims, age ranges, uh, nationalities. So, uh, the next phase of this operation is, is going to be led by the NTSB. All of us are working together though to to search the area and find the victims. I’m confident that we will do that, um, and that will take us *** little bit of time though, it may involve some more equipment as far as the things being collected. I don’t have personal knowledge. I know that we have been collecting debris that you would expect to see from *** plane. Anything about the victims So just uh so the question is about uh the victims. The NTSB is going to lead that portion of the contact with the victims. I believe American is going to be involved with that as well and so will the FAA and the Department of Transportation. 1234. First First Secretary Duffy, um, the flight path that the helicopter was on, is that *** common flight path? For helicopters to get clearance. Cut across busy postpa. So, uh, I don’t know if you all could hear the question. It’s *** question about the the flight path of the helicopter. I don’t want to go into too much detail about the information we have from the FAA, but, uh, obviously it is, it is not standard to have aircraft collide. I want to be clear on that, uh, but prior to the collision, the flight paths that, uh, uh, were being flown from the military and from American, that was not unusual, uh, for what happens in the DC airspace. And uh as this investigation moves forward, uh we will be able to provide more information um to you about the details uh of that statement. I wanted to follow up on that question regarding the. Um, so Yeah Blind spots here Uh So the question is, were there blind spots with air traffic control? Um, I don’t want to make statements, uh, uh, uh, about that. I don’t need into that answer, um. But, uh, again, I think whether it was air traffic control, whether it was military aircraft, helicopters or the American flight. Everything was standard in the lead up to the crash. Now, obviously there was something happened here. You’ll get more information and more details as this investigation moves forward. We’ll learn what happened, but again, those who live in the DC area, um, we see military helicopters fly up and down the river. It’s *** standard path that they fly. They’re used to aircraft landing. Uh, at DCA, um, and there’s *** procedure in place because this happens every day. Something went wrong here. Uh, I look forward to the time and point when we can give you that information, um, but I don’t want to comment on that right now. you all have About your concerns about. Air traffic early in the investigation Curious and any steps that well planned to take to to address that. We have raised this issue continuously. We’ve got very busy airspace. I think um we will ask questions but at the appropriate time but we’re in this period right now where families are still being notified. We’re trying to figure out what happened. There’ll be time for those discussion I think. Yeah, I just say the same thing. We’ve been pretty plain about our concerns, but It isn’t *** good time to speculate right now we, we have faith that the NTSB will provide the answers about this. OK, you 4th here and I’m gonna take 3 in the middle and then we’re gonna have to wrap 123 after this young one. Thank you, appreciate it. Chief, I, I know again, I can imagine it must be traumatic for the first responders and that is how are they doing right now and are you all gonna be offering services to help them? Process this. So, uh, thank you for the question. I, our first responders are resilient people, but yes, uh, this call will be hard for them. Uh, our peer support teams are already engaged with the responders and we’ll be following up on that to make sure that they’re OK, but um I think the concern is real. We can do um what kind of communication was it between the helicopter and the tower, the plane in the tower and the helicopter. I don’t want to say too much on the communication between the helicopter in the tower and the airline in the tower, but I will say this, there was, there was communication. It was. I would say standard communication, so there was not *** breakdown if that’s your question in communication between uh the military helicopter and the American Airline flight. There was, there was communication between the aircraft and the tower. Uh The, uh, I would say the helicopter was aware that there was *** plane in the area. President, uh, so the president, you said yesterday. You Since then have you spoken also *** question about, uh, National Security Adviser Mike Watson. 30 bodies You just said that to the White House. Curious, I know you’re in this process right now, so that’s hard for you to update, but I do. So in terms of body recovery, we, um, as we recover bodies, we have *** process and we’re not counting any bodies until they’re in the possession of the medical director, so there may be some fluctuating in numbers that other people would report but our numbers from the medical examiner. So, so in regard to the president in the in the briefing room, uh, I’ve been with this team for the last hour plus as we’ve worked through the details of the information we wanted to give you, but it is my understanding uh that uh either this morning he was going to be in the in the Situation Room or the Situation Room is obviously briefing the president. He has been kept in full appraisal of what is taking place. OK, last two of you and you you ma’am, first. on *** standard. The airport opens at 11 today. Plas beyond that My pattern are they being directed. So you wanna well, I mean, safety is paramount. And um I, I don’t have that information quite yet from the FAA so uh I don’t want to provide an information or I don’t want to provide an answer or inaccurate information on uh what routes will be flown out of DCA. And last 12 questions really quickly. What do you know about the experience and history of the pilots of both the American Airlines plane and. Army Black Hawk helicopter and then for Secretary Duffy, last night the president had said that this could have been prevented and questioned why air traffic in Seoul didn’t tell his helicopter what to do. Is that something that investigators have determined should have happened? So I can quickly secretary, just, just quickly, I don’t, I don’t have *** lot of information to release, but, uh, these are experienced pilots. Uh, uh, I know that the captain was had 6 years with with PSA or almost 6 years with PSA, and the first officer almost 2 years, um, and, um, again, standard approach, and that’s all about all I can say. Thank you. In regard to the military, I don’t have uh information in regard to uh the experience of the military pilots. I would just note that uh this was classified as *** as *** training mission. Sometimes people could think that *** training mission is someone who is inexperienced in the cockpit. This is we call these these missions that are flown in the DC area as our pilots are getting hours and experience training missions, so don’t read into that that we had how many hours the pilots on the military aircraft had, and you had another question for me that was the president had said that this could be prevented and also that air traffic controls questioning why they may not have communicated with the helicopter. So, so we, we, we are going to wait for all the information to come in from, from this vantage point, but, uh, to, to back up what the president said, uh what I’ve seen so far, do I think this was preventable? Absolutely.

No survivors expected after American Airlines plane, military helicopter collide near airport

President: ‘We are in mourning … Our hearts are shattered alongside yours and our prayers are with you’; Rescue transitions to recovery

No one is expected to have survived a collision between an American Airlines plane and an Army helicopter Wednesday night near Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, officials said.WHAT WE KNOW SO FAR» American Eagle Flight 5342 (Wichita, Kansas, to DCA) and military helicopter collided.» 64 people on board flight; three soldiers on board helicopter training flight.» Call came in at 8:48 p.m., first responders arrived within 10 minutes.» State Police and Baltimore Fire and Police among Maryland jurisdictions to send divers and search units to response effort.» Officials confirmed the operation has moved from a rescue effort to a recovery effort as there are no expected survivors.» As of Thursday morning, 28 bodies were recovered, including 27 from the plane and one from the helicopter.» U.S. Sen. Chris Van Hollen, D-Maryland, said Thursday that “a number” of Marylanders died in the crash.UPDATE (8:50 p.m.): Divers have searched all accessible areas of the Potomac River crash, according to a post from DC Fire and EMS Department.The investigation and recovery efforts are still active.On Friday, divers will work with NTSB to conduct additional searches to locate aircraft components, to support the investigation and begin operations to salvage the aircraft, officials added.Overnight, boats will remain on the scene for security and surface searches from local, state, and federal regional partners.UPDATE (2:45 p.m.): The NTSB provided updates at a news conference on Thursday.NTSB Chair Jennifer Homendy said it is allowing first responders to do their jobs. The NTSB has nearly 50 people on scene in addition to resources at its headquarters. The NTSB will leave no stone unturned in its investigation, and said it will share facts about the investigation as it becomes available.The investigative team for NTSB will be on scene for as long as it takes, officials said in the news conference.The goal is to have a preliminary report within 30 days, NTSB member Todd Inman said. No black boxes have been recovered, but Inman said they feel confident that they will recover them.UPDATE (11:23 a.m.): President Donald Trump held a briefing on the plane crash, saying, in part: “We are in mourning … Our hearts are shattered alongside yours and our prayers are with you.”The president ensured an investigation will uncover a cause and methods to prevent another such tragedy.The president announced the immediate appointment of Christopher Rocheleau as acting commissioner of the Federal Aviation Administration.No new information was released at the briefing as the president made highly critical remarks, suggesting FAA diversity initiatives led to shortcomings among air-traffic controllers.The president said there was a “confluence of bad decisions that were made” that led to lives lost. The president appeared to blame the helicopter pilot for the crash, saying, “You had an airliner coming in, he was doing everything right. He was on track. For some reason, you’ve got a helicopter that was at the same height, obviously when they hit … and going at an angle.””Tragically, last night, a mistake was made,” Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said, explaining that a routine annual retraining of night flights was underway in a standard corridor in a continuity of government operation.Video below: President’s news briefingU.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy spoke following the president, saying, in part: “What happened yesterday shouldn’t happen. It should not have happened. And, when Americans take off in airplanes, they should expect to land at their destination. That didn’t happen yesterday. That’s not acceptable. And so, we will not accept excuses. We will not accept passing the buck. We will accept responsibility at the Department of Transportation, the FAA, to make sure we have the reforms dictated by President Trump in place to ensure that this does not happen again.”UPDATE (7:30 a.m.): Officials provide a morning update on the tragic plane crash at Reagan National Airport.Washington, D.C., Mayor Muriel Bowser expressed sadness for American Airlines and the Department of Defense for the loss of life in the crash. DC Fire and EMS Chief John Donnelly said the operation was switching from a rescue operation to a recovery operation.”At this point, we don’t believe there are any survivors. We’ve recovered 27 people from the plane and one from the helicopter,” Donnelly said.”Our focus right now is doing everything we can to support all of those involved,” American Airlines CEO Robert Isom said. “This is devastating. We are all hurting incredibly.”Raw video below: No survivors expected, mission transitions to recoveryU.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy explained the conditions Wednesday night were clear. Duffy said there was communication between the aircrafts and the tower.”This was a clear night last night. The helicopter was in a standard pattern, this flight pattern is seen oftentimes if you live in D.C. The American Airlines flight coming into land was in a standard flight pattern coming into DCA. So, this was not unusual with military aircraft flying over the river and aircraft coming into land,” Duffy said.Duffy said crews found the two aircrafts. The fuselage of the American Airlines plane was inverted, it’s been located in three different sections in about waist-deep water.”Safety is our expectation. Everyone who flies in American skies expects that we fly safely, that when you depart the airport, you get to your destination safely. That didn’t happen last night,” Duffy said. “You should be assured that when you fly, you’re safe.””I want to express my sincere condolences for the accident that happened at DCA last night,” Isom said. “We’re absolutely heartbroken for the family of the passengers and the crew members and also for those that were in the military aircraft.”Donnelly said multiple first responders from across Maryland, including Baltimore City, took part in the crash response. Baltimore City fire officials told 11 News the department deployed Squad 26 and its elite dive team, and Baltimore police told 11 News the department sent its underwater recovery and dive teams to assist.Officials said they remain confident that the airport will reopened as previously stated.”We will begin to have aircraft moving in and out of the airport at 11 o’clock,” said Jack Potter, the president and CEO of the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority.UPDATE (3 a.m.): NBC News is reporting that figure skaters were on board the flight.NBC cited a U.S. Figure Skating statement as saying: “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. 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.”UPDATE (12:54 a.m.): Washington, D.C., Mayor Muriel Bowser and authorities said first responders from across the region are conducting a rescue operation in dark and cold conditions.”We want to extend our thoughts and prayers to those individuals who are impacted by the events tonight, their families. We know that this is a difficult time for them,” U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said.DC Fire and EMS Chief John Donnelly said an alert was called at 8:48 p.m. for a large regional response for a plane crash. The first units arrived at the scene about 10 minutes later and began rescue operations.Video below: Strong winds hindered onset of rescue operations after plane crashDonnelly said they’ve requested helicopters from Maryland State Police, and that first responders are dealing with extremely rough and cold conditions.”It’s a highly complex operation. The conditions out there are extremely rough for the responders,” Donnelly said.Jack Potter, the president and CEO of the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority, said Reagan National Airport will remain closed until at least 11 a.m.”We did have aircraft that were in the air, they were diverted to Dulles International Airport, 19 of them,” Potter said, adding that there were no impacts to flights at Baltimore-Washington International Thurgood Marshall or Dulles International airports.Video below: Some Reagan flights diverted to BWI-Marshall, others delayedSenators from Kansas, from which the flight originated, spoke at the news conference.”It’s very personal,” said U.S. Sen. Jerry Moran, R-Kansas, who chairs a subcommittee on aviation. “I know that flight. I’ve flown it many times myself. I lobbied American Airlines to begin having direct, nonstop flight service to DCA. That flight has been in existence for about a year, and it’s certainly true that in Kansas, in Wichita in particular, we’re going to know people on that flight.””I want the folks back home to know that we care, we love them, and this is a time when we’ll have to join arms together and help each other out. We’ve been through things like this before — tornadoes, floods and things — but it’s really hard when you lose 60 people simultaneously,” said U.S. Sen. Roger Marshall, R-Kansas.Video below: SkyTeam 11 Capt. Roy Taylor on DCA flight operationsORIGINAL STORY: An American Airlines plane and an Army helicopter collided Wednesday night near Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport.Sixty passengers were onboard the Bombardier CRJ-701 twin-engine jet along with four crew members, officials say. As of 11 p.m., sources say at least two bodies have been pulled from the Potomac River.The Federal Aviation Administration said that a regional jet and an Army Blackhawk helicopter collided just off the runways at Reagan National. Officials said the Army helicopter was on a training flight and that three soldiers were on board.Video below shows plane collide with helicopter over Potomac River. Warning: Viewer discretion is advised.All takeoffs and landings have been stopped, officials said in a post on X.In a statement posted online, American Airlines said, in part:”American Eagle Flight 5342 en route from Wichita, Kansas (ICT), to Washington, D.C. (DCA) was involved in an accident at DCA. The flight was operated by PSA Airlines with a CRJ-700.”There were 60 passengers and four crew members on board the aircraft.”Our concern is for the passengers and crew on board the aircraft. We are in contact with authorities and assisting with emergency response efforts.”If you believe you may have loved ones on board Flight 5342, call American Airlines toll-free at 800-679-8215. Those calling from outside the U.S. can visit news.aa.com for additional phone numbers. Family members in Canada, Puerto Rico or the U.S. Virgin Islands can call 800-679-8215 directly.”Video below: American Airlines CEO provides update on plane crashIn a statement, President Donald Trump said: “I have been fully briefed on the terrible accident which just took place at Reagan National Airport. May God Bless their souls. Thank you for the incredible work being done by our first responders. I am monitoring the situation and will provide more details as they arise.”In a post on X, Maryland Gov. Wes Moore said Maryland State Police has deployed divers to the scene to assist with rescue missions, saying: “We are closely monitoring the aviation collision incident that occurred earlier this evening near Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport. The State of Maryland and local authorities are engaged in response.”The (Maryland Department of Emergency Management) has raised its Emergency Operations Center to ‘Enhanced’ status in support. (Maryland State Police) have deployed divers to the scene to assist with rescue missions. (Maryland Department of Natural Resources) police are also on scene.” This is a breaking story and will be updated.Video below: Officials provide update on fatal plane crash (12:54 a.m.)Video below: Officials in Kansas provide update

No one is expected to have survived a collision between an American Airlines plane and an Army helicopter Wednesday night near Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, officials said.

WHAT WE KNOW SO FAR
» American Eagle Flight 5342 (Wichita, Kansas, to DCA) and military helicopter collided.
» 64 people on board flight; three soldiers on board helicopter training flight.
» Call came in at 8:48 p.m., first responders arrived within 10 minutes.
» State Police and Baltimore Fire and Police among Maryland jurisdictions to send divers and search units to response effort.
» Officials confirmed the operation has moved from a rescue effort to a recovery effort as there are no expected survivors.
» As of Thursday morning, 28 bodies were recovered, including 27 from the plane and one from the helicopter.
» U.S. Sen. Chris Van Hollen, D-Maryland, said Thursday that “a number” of Marylanders died in the crash.

UPDATE (8:50 p.m.): Divers have searched all accessible areas of the Potomac River crash, according to a post from DC Fire and EMS Department.

The investigation and recovery efforts are still active.

On Friday, divers will work with NTSB to conduct additional searches to locate aircraft components, to support the investigation and begin operations to salvage the aircraft, officials added.

Overnight, boats will remain on the scene for security and surface searches from local, state, and federal regional partners.

UPDATE (2:45 p.m.): The NTSB provided updates at a news conference on Thursday.

NTSB Chair Jennifer Homendy said it is allowing first responders to do their jobs. The NTSB has nearly 50 people on scene in addition to resources at its headquarters.

The NTSB will leave no stone unturned in its investigation, and said it will share facts about the investigation as it becomes available.

The investigative team for NTSB will be on scene for as long as it takes, officials said in the news conference.

The goal is to have a preliminary report within 30 days, NTSB member Todd Inman said.

No black boxes have been recovered, but Inman said they feel confident that they will recover them.

UPDATE (11:23 a.m.): President Donald Trump held a briefing on the plane crash, saying, in part: “We are in mourning … Our hearts are shattered alongside yours and our prayers are with you.”

The president ensured an investigation will uncover a cause and methods to prevent another such tragedy.

The president announced the immediate appointment of Christopher Rocheleau as acting commissioner of the Federal Aviation Administration.

No new information was released at the briefing as the president made highly critical remarks, suggesting FAA diversity initiatives led to shortcomings among air-traffic controllers.

The president said there was a “confluence of bad decisions that were made” that led to lives lost. The president appeared to blame the helicopter pilot for the crash, saying, “You had an airliner coming in, he was doing everything right. He was on track. For some reason, you’ve got a helicopter that was at the same height, obviously when they hit … and going at an angle.”

“Tragically, last night, a mistake was made,” Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said, explaining that a routine annual retraining of night flights was underway in a standard corridor in a continuity of government operation.

Video below: President’s news briefing

U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy spoke following the president, saying, in part: “What happened yesterday shouldn’t happen. It should not have happened. And, when Americans take off in airplanes, they should expect to land at their destination. That didn’t happen yesterday. That’s not acceptable. And so, we will not accept excuses. We will not accept passing the buck. We will accept responsibility at the Department of Transportation, the FAA, to make sure we have the reforms dictated by President Trump in place to ensure that this does not happen again.”

UPDATE (7:30 a.m.): Officials provide a morning update on the tragic plane crash at Reagan National Airport.

Washington, D.C., Mayor Muriel Bowser expressed sadness for American Airlines and the Department of Defense for the loss of life in the crash. DC Fire and EMS Chief John Donnelly said the operation was switching from a rescue operation to a recovery operation.

“At this point, we don’t believe there are any survivors. We’ve recovered 27 people from the plane and one from the helicopter,” Donnelly said.

“Our focus right now is doing everything we can to support all of those involved,” American Airlines CEO Robert Isom said. “This is devastating. We are all hurting incredibly.”

Raw video below: No survivors expected, mission transitions to recovery

U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy explained the conditions Wednesday night were clear. Duffy said there was communication between the aircrafts and the tower.

“This was a clear night last night. The helicopter was in a standard pattern, this flight pattern is seen oftentimes if you live in D.C. The American Airlines flight coming into land was in a standard flight pattern coming into DCA. So, this was not unusual with military aircraft flying over the river and aircraft coming into land,” Duffy said.

Duffy said crews found the two aircrafts. The fuselage of the American Airlines plane was inverted, it’s been located in three different sections in about waist-deep water.

“Safety is our expectation. Everyone who flies in American skies expects that we fly safely, that when you depart the airport, you get to your destination safely. That didn’t happen last night,” Duffy said. “You should be assured that when you fly, you’re safe.”

“Everyone who flies in American skies expects that we fly safely.”

“I want to express my sincere condolences for the accident that happened at DCA last night,” Isom said. “We’re absolutely heartbroken for the family of the passengers and the crew members and also for those that were in the military aircraft.”

Donnelly said multiple first responders from across Maryland, including Baltimore City, took part in the crash response. Baltimore City fire officials told 11 News the department deployed Squad 26 and its elite dive team, and Baltimore police told 11 News the department sent its underwater recovery and dive teams to assist.

Officials said they remain confident that the airport will reopened as previously stated.

“We will begin to have aircraft moving in and out of the airport at 11 o’clock,” said Jack Potter, the president and CEO of the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority.

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UPDATE (3 a.m.): NBC News is reporting that figure skaters were on board the flight.

NBC cited a U.S. Figure Skating statement as saying: “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. 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.”

UPDATE (12:54 a.m.): Washington, D.C., Mayor Muriel Bowser and authorities said first responders from across the region are conducting a rescue operation in dark and cold conditions.

“We want to extend our thoughts and prayers to those individuals who are impacted by the events tonight, their families. We know that this is a difficult time for them,” U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said.

DC Fire and EMS Chief John Donnelly said an alert was called at 8:48 p.m. for a large regional response for a plane crash. The first units arrived at the scene about 10 minutes later and began rescue operations.

Video below: Strong winds hindered onset of rescue operations after plane crash

Donnelly said they’ve requested helicopters from Maryland State Police, and that first responders are dealing with extremely rough and cold conditions.

“It’s a highly complex operation. The conditions out there are extremely rough for the responders,” Donnelly said.

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Jack Potter, the president and CEO of the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority, said Reagan National Airport will remain closed until at least 11 a.m.

“We did have aircraft that were in the air, they were diverted to Dulles International Airport, 19 of them,” Potter said, adding that there were no impacts to flights at Baltimore-Washington International Thurgood Marshall or Dulles International airports.

Video below: Some Reagan flights diverted to BWI-Marshall, others delayed

Senators from Kansas, from which the flight originated, spoke at the news conference.

“It’s very personal,” said U.S. Sen. Jerry Moran, R-Kansas, who chairs a subcommittee on aviation. “I know that flight. I’ve flown it many times myself. I lobbied American Airlines to begin having direct, nonstop flight service to DCA. That flight has been in existence for about a year, and it’s certainly true that in Kansas, in Wichita in particular, we’re going to know people on that flight.”

“I want the folks back home to know that we care, we love them, and this is a time when we’ll have to join arms together and help each other out. We’ve been through things like this before — tornadoes, floods and things — but it’s really hard when you lose 60 people simultaneously,” said U.S. Sen. Roger Marshall, R-Kansas.

Video below: SkyTeam 11 Capt. Roy Taylor on DCA flight operations

ORIGINAL STORY: An American Airlines plane and an Army helicopter collided Wednesday night near Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport.

Sixty passengers were onboard the Bombardier CRJ-701 twin-engine jet along with four crew members, officials say. As of 11 p.m., sources say at least two bodies have been pulled from the Potomac River.

The Federal Aviation Administration said that a regional jet and an Army Blackhawk helicopter collided just off the runways at Reagan National. Officials said the Army helicopter was on a training flight and that three soldiers were on board.

Video below shows plane collide with helicopter over Potomac River. Warning: Viewer discretion is advised.


All takeoffs and landings have been stopped, officials said in a post on X.

In a statement posted online, American Airlines said, in part:

“American Eagle Flight 5342 en route from Wichita, Kansas (ICT), to Washington, D.C. (DCA) was involved in an accident at DCA. The flight was operated by PSA Airlines with a CRJ-700.
“There were 60 passengers and four crew members on board the aircraft.
“Our concern is for the passengers and crew on board the aircraft. We are in contact with authorities and assisting with emergency response efforts.
“If you believe you may have loved ones on board Flight 5342, call American Airlines toll-free at 800-679-8215. Those calling from outside the U.S. can visit news.aa.com for additional phone numbers. Family members in Canada, Puerto Rico or the U.S. Virgin Islands can call 800-679-8215 directly.”

Video below: American Airlines CEO provides update on plane crash

In a statement, President Donald Trump said: “I have been fully briefed on the terrible accident which just took place at Reagan National Airport. May God Bless their souls. Thank you for the incredible work being done by our first responders. I am monitoring the situation and will provide more details as they arise.”

In a post on X, Maryland Gov. Wes Moore said Maryland State Police has deployed divers to the scene to assist with rescue missions, saying:

“We are closely monitoring the aviation collision incident that occurred earlier this evening near Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport. The State of Maryland and local authorities are engaged in response.
“The (Maryland Department of Emergency Management) has raised its Emergency Operations Center to ‘Enhanced’ status in support. (Maryland State Police) have deployed divers to the scene to assist with rescue missions. (Maryland Department of Natural Resources) police are also on scene.”

This is a breaking story and will be updated.

Video below: Officials provide update on fatal plane crash (12:54 a.m.)

Video below: Officials in Kansas provide update

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