A US passenger plane carrying 64 people, including 60 passengers and 4 crew members, crashed into Washington DC's Potomac River after colliding with a military helicopter on a nighttime training exercise Wednesday. The plane, American Airlines Flight 5342, had departed from Wichita, Kansas, and was en route to Reagan National Airport when the collision occurred.
At least 18 bodies were recovered Wednesday night, and the search for survivors continues. The plane broke into two pieces after colliding with an Army Black Hawk helicopter, roughly in seven feet of near-freezing water, raising concerns about the survivability of those onboard.
The White House confirmed that a military helicopter was involved in the incident, and all takeoffs and landings at Reagan National Airport have been halted. President Trump said in a statement that he has been fully briefed on the accident and is monitoring the situation.
The Department of Defense is monitoring developments after the collision, and there is no indication of any criminality or terrorism. The FBI is standing by to assist, and Maryland State Police have deployed divers to the scene of the crash. Dozens of firefighters are engaged in dive operations at the site of the plane crash in the Potomac River.
The cause of the collision is under investigation, and the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has sent a team to the scene. The NTSB is an independent federal agency responsible for investigating transportation accidents.
The crash is the deadliest aviation accident in the United States since February 2009, when a Colgan Air flight crashed near Buffalo, New York, killing 50 people. It is also the first fatal accident involving a commercial airliner in the United States since 2018.
The crash has raised concerns about the safety of air travel in the United States. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has ordered a review of all helicopter operations in the Washington, DC, area. The FAA is also working with the NTSB to investigate the cause of the crash.
The crash has also had a significant impact on the families of the victims. American Airlines has set up a family assistance center at Reagan National Airport, and the Red Cross is providing support to the families of the victims.
The crash is a tragedy for the families of the victims, the aviation community, and the United States. The investigation into the cause of the crash is ongoing, and the NTSB is expected to release a preliminary report within a few weeks.
6 Comments
ZmeeLove
We are grateful for the first responders who are working tirelessly to search for survivors. Thank you for your courage and dedication.
Muchacho
My heart breaks for the families who lost loved ones. They deserve answers and justice. We need to know how this could have happened.
ytkonos
We are confident the aviation industry will learn from this accident and improve safety measures to prevent similar tragedies in the future.
lettlelenok
Military helicopter training in a crowded airspace at night? This is beyond reckless! What were they thinking?
dedus mopedus
This accident highlights the need for better communication and coordination between civilian and military air traffic. We can't afford another tragedy like this.
Eugene Alta
This is a tragedy, but it shouldn't distract us from the fact that helicopter training should never happen in such a populated area.