UNITED STATES—On Wednesday, January 29, a military Black Hawk helicopter carrying three soldiers and an American Airlines jet carrying 60 passengers and four crew members collided into one another before plummeting into the Potomac River around 9 p.m. Video of the actual crash could be seen from The Kennedy Center depicting the explosion as it happened. All flights have been grounded at Ronald Reagan National Airport until 11 a.m. on Thursday.
“We’re aware of reports that American Eagle flight 5342, operated by PSA, with service from Wichita, Kansas (ICT) to Washington Reagan National Airport (DCA) has been involved in an accident. We will provide information as it becomes available,” American Airlines said in a statement Wednesday night.
It was announced on Thursday, January 30, by officials that all on board the American Airlines jet and the soldiers on the military chopper are all presumed dead. The American Airlines jet departed from Wichita, Kansas headed to Ronald Reagan National Airport near Washington D.C.
The rescue mission has now been switched to a recovery mission. A total of 28 people from the American Airlines plane have been recovered including one soldier from the military helicopter from the frigid waters. A total of 60 people and four crew members were onboard the American Airlines plane at the time of the collision. Many of those passengers are reported to be U.S. figure skaters and their families.
TMZ reported that the Russian media announced that figure skating champions, Vadim Naumov and Evgenia Shishkova, who are married were aboard the plane.
It was reported that the military helicopter and American Airlines plane were in a standard flight pattern when the two vehicles collided, indicated Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy during a press conference on Thursday morning.
President Donald J. Trump posted on Truth Social the following statement on Wednesday night:
“The airplane was on a perfect and routine line of approach to the airport. The helicopter was going straight at the airplane for an extended period of time. It is a CLEAR NIGHT, the lights n the plane were blazing, 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. This is a bad situation that looks like it should have been prevented. NOT GOOD!!!”
The city of Wichita held a press conference Thursday morning to discuss the incident. “We mourn with all those who have been impacted. This is a terrible tragedy that will unite those in Washington D.C. and Wichita, Kansas forever,” stated Mayor Wu.
An exact cause of what caused the Black Hawk helicopter and American Airlines jet to collide is still under investigation.