Washington DC [US]: Authorities have shifted from rescue to recovery operations following a devastating midair collision over the Potomac River in Washington, DC. Officials have stated that they no longer expect to find any survivors from the accident, which involved an American Airlines passenger jet and a US Army Black Hawk helicopter.
In a press briefing held at Reagan National Airport, Washington, DC, Mayor Muriel Bowser and DC Fire and EMS Chief John Donnelly confirmed the grim outcome.
“We are now at a point where we’re switching from a rescue operation to a recovery operation. At this point, we don’t believe there are any survivors from this accident,” Donnelly announced at a news conference on Thursday.
Donnelly reported that recovery teams had retrieved 28 bodies from the passenger jet and one from the military helicopter. He added that officials were confident in recovering the remaining victims.
Details of the Collision and Recovery Efforts
The tragic incident occurred Wednesday night when American Airlines Flight 5342, a regional jet carrying 60 passengers and four crew members, collided midair with a US Army Black Hawk helicopter conducting a training mission. The crash resulted in both aircraft plummeting into the icy waters of the Potomac River. All 67 people on board the two aircraft are believed to have died.
Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy provided an update on the wreckage, describing the extent of the damage.
“The fuselage of the American Airlines plane was inverted. It’s been located in three different sections. It’s in about waist-deep water, so that recovery is going to go on today,” Duffy stated.
He also noted that the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) had launched investigations to determine the cause of the collision.
American Airlines CEO Points to Military Aircraft
During the press conference, American Airlines CEO Robert Isom appeared to suggest that the military helicopter may have been responsible for the collision.
“At this time, we don’t know why the military aircraft came into the path of the PSA aircraft,” Isom said.
Impact on Air Traffic and Investigation
The collision occurred at a time of high airport traffic, with 858 flights scheduled at Reagan National Airport on Wednesday. Following the crash, 19 flights were diverted to Dulles International Airport, and all remaining flights were grounded. Officials confirmed that Reagan National Airport would remain closed until at least 11 a.m. ET on Thursday.
The incident has sent shockwaves across the country, prompting condolences from political leaders, including former President Donald Trump.
“This is a bad situation that looks like it should have been prevented,” Trump posted on Truth Social.
Authorities continue their recovery efforts, while investigators work to piece together the events leading to this tragic collision.