No Survivors In U.S. Plane Crash, 28 Bodies Recovered, Officials Say
A midair collision between an American Airlines jet and a U.S. Army Black Hawk helicopter has left no survivors, with officials confirming the recovery of 28 bodies from the Potomac River.
The crash, which occurred on Wednesday night, at 9 p.m. local time, near Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, led to the death of 64 persons on board, including 60 passengers and four crew members. The pilots in the helicopter too could not make it.
Washington, D.C.’s Fire Chief, John Donnelly, announced on Thursday morning that the response effort was shifting from a rescue operation to a recovery mission.
“At this time, we do not believe there are any survivors from this accident. We have recovered 27 individuals from the plane and one from the helicopter,” Donnelly stated.
The crash occurred after an American Eagle Flight 5342, a PSA Airlines Bombardier CRJ700, arriving from Wichita, Kansas, struck a Sikorsky H-60 helicopter, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) said.
The collision occurred at an altitude of around 300 feet as the jetliner approached Runway 33.
Following the collision, one of the aircraft was confirmed to have crashed into the Potomac River. More than 300 emergency responders have so far participated in a large-scale search-and-rescue effort to help rescue possible survivors and recover the bodies.
“We are deeply concerned for the passengers and crew aboard Flight 5342,” American Airlines said in a statement.
“We are working closely with authorities and assisting emergency response efforts,” the airline added.
The American Airlines CEO, Robert Isom, announced that he would be travelling to Washington to assess the situation.
The U.S. Army also confirmed the involvement of its helicopter, stating that it was conducting a training flight from Fort Belvoir, Virginia.
No Survivors In U.S. Plane Crash, 28 Bodies Recovered, Officials Say is first published on The Whistler Newspaper
