All feared dead in American Airlines jet-Army helicopter collision: Reports

Arlington: A catastrophic mid-air collision between an American Airlines regional jet and a US Army helicopter on Wednesday has led to multiple fatalities and a large-scale search-and-rescue operation in the Potomac River near Ronald Reagan National Airport, Washington. 

At least 28 bodies were pulled from the icy waters of the Potomac River after an American Airlines jet carrying 60 passengers and four crew members collided with an Army helicopter while landing at Ronald Reagan National Airport near Washington, officials said Thursday.

Crews were still searching for other casualties but did not believe there were any other survivors, which would make it the deadliest US air crash in nearly 24 years.

The Fire Chief said on Thursday that all those aboard the aircraft involved in the crash are feared dead.

“We are now at the point where we are switching from a rescue operation to a recovery operation,” said John Donnelly, the fire chief in the nation’s capital. “We don’t believe there are any survivors.”

The body of the plane was found upside down in three sections in waist-deep water. The wreckage of the helicopter was also found.

The incident

The collision occurred on Wednesday night as the American Airlines jet was landing at Ronald Reagan National Airport. The jet, carrying 60 passengers and four crew members, collided with a UH-60 Blackhawk helicopter from the US Army, which was on a training flight. Three soldiers were aboard the helicopter at the time.

According to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), the crash happened shortly before 9 pm EST, as the jet approached Runway 33. The collision occurred in one of the most tightly controlled and monitored airspaces in the world, just three miles south of the White House and the Capitol.

The FAA stated that air traffic controllers had asked the commercial jet’s pilots if they could land on the shorter Runway 33. After confirming they could, the controllers cleared the plane for landing. Moments before the crash, an air traffic controller asked the helicopter if it had the jet in sight and instructed it to pass behind the arriving plane. Seconds later, the two aircraft collided.

Search and rescue efforts

The crash prompted an immediate search-and-rescue operation involving some 300 first responders. Boats equipped with searchlights scanned the Potomac River, and inflatable rescue boats were launched from the George Washington Parkway. First responders set up light towers along the riverbank to assist in locating survivors. Helicopters from law enforcement agencies across the region also conducted aerial searches.

“It’s a highly complex operation,” said DC fire chief John Donnelly. “The conditions out there are extremely rough for the responders.” Images from the scene showed the mangled wreckage of the jet’s fuselage and a partly submerged wing in the river. A video from a nearby observation camera captured two sets of lights consistent with aircraft joining in a fireball.

Casualties and victims

Among the passengers on the American Airlines flight were a group of figure skaters, their coaches, and family members returning from a development camp following the US Figure Skating Championships in Wichita.

US Figure Skating issued a statement saying, “We are devastated by this unspeakable tragedy and hold the victims’ families closely in our hearts.”

Two of the coaches were identified as Russian figure skaters Evgenia Shishkova and Vadim Naumov, who had won the pairs title at the 1994 World Championships and competed in two Olympics. Their son, Maxim Naumov, is a competitive US figure skater.

Reactions from leaders

President Donald Trump said he had been “fully briefed on this terrible accident” and offered condolences to the victims.

“May God Bless their souls,” he added.

Senator Jerry Moran of Kansas, familiar with the flight’s route, said, “I know that flight. I’ve flown it several times myself. This is a very personal circumstance.”

Details of the aircraft

The American Airlines Flight 5342 was a Bombardier CRJ-701 twin-engine jet manufactured in 2004. The regional jet was inbound from Wichita, Kansas, at an altitude of about 400 feet and a speed of approximately 140 miles per hour when it experienced a rapid loss of altitude over the Potomac River. Its radio transponder stopped transmitting about 2,400 feet short of the runway.

The UH-60 Blackhawk helicopter, based at Fort Belvoir in Virginia, was conducting a routine training flight. Military aircraft frequently perform training operations in and around Washington’s restricted airspace for familiarisation and government continuity planning.

Weather conditions

The collision occurred on a warm winter evening, with temperatures reaching 60 degrees Fahrenheit earlier in the day. The Potomac River temperature was recorded at 36 degrees Fahrenheit. The National Weather Service reported wind gusts of up to 25 mph in the area, which could have posed challenges for both aircraft.

Investigators will work to determine the cause of the crash, focusing on the final moments of both aircraft and their interactions with air traffic controllers. The FAA and the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) will lead the investigation.

Reagan National Airport was closed temporarily but is scheduled to reopen at 11 am, Thursday.

American Airlines CEO Robert Isom expressed “deep sorrow” for the crash and stated that the airline is focused on supporting the needs of passengers, crew, first responders, and victims’ families.

“We are committed to cooperating fully with the investigation and ensuring that such an incident never happens again,” Isom said.

AP