Washington: At least 28 bodies were pulled from the icy waters of Potomac River after an American Airlines jet carrying 60 passengers and four crew members collided with a US Army Black Hawk helicopter while landing near Ronald Reagan National Airport in Washington.
According to the Associated Press reports quoting officials, it is feared that there are no survivors, making this one of the deadliest US air crashes in nearly 24 years.
How the collision took place
The American PSA Airlines jet was on its landing approach when it collided with the military helicopter on Wednesday night. Both aircraft crashed into the river, breaking apart on impact. The wreckage of the plane was found upside down in three sections, while parts of the helicopter were also recovered.
Hundreds of emergency responders worked through freezing conditions to rescue possible survivors. However, after hours of searching, Washington fire chief John Donnelly announced that the operation had shifted from a rescue mission to a recovery effort, as there was little hope of finding anyone alive. The search for more bodies continues.
Airport shut down and investigation
Following the crash, Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) ordered the grounding of all flights at Reagan National Airport. Operations are expected to resume by 11 am local time. Meanwhile, FAA and National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) have launched investigations into the cause of the accident.
The exact reason for the crash remains unclear, but recordings from air traffic control reveal that controllers repeatedly asked the helicopter crew if they could see the plane. Just moments before the collision, they instructed the helicopter to “pass behind” the passenger jet. Both aircraft were on standard flight paths, and weather conditions were clear at the time.
Victims include Russian Figure Skating champions
Several US Figure Skating athletes, coaches, and officials were on board the plane. Russian authorities also confirmed that Evgenia Shishkova and Vadim Naumov, the 1994 world pairs figure skating champions, were among the victims.
US President Donald Trump reacted to the crash on social media, questioning why the helicopter did not take action to avoid the collision. He wrote, “Why didn’t the helicopter go up or down, or turn? Why didn’t the control tower tell the helicopter what to do instead of asking if they saw the plane?”
