Everyone Aboard American Airlines Jet That Collided With Army Helicopter Feared Dead

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60 passengers and 4 crew members on an American Airlines plane, which seemed to have crashed into an Army helicopter, are believed to have perished in what could be one of the deadliest aviation accidents in the United States over the past 25 years, according to authorities. They spoke about this matter on Thursday.

At least 28 individuals were recovered from the frigid waters of the Potomac River following a tragic mid-air collision on Wednesday evening. It appears that the helicopter may have been flying in the path of the jet, as it was descending at Ronald Reagan National Airport close to Washington, according to authorities.

Rescue teams continued looking for more victims, yet they were pessimistic about finding any living souls, suggesting that the accident could be one of the most fatal U.S. air crashes in approximately a quarter century.

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Search parties were still scouring for additional casualties, but they seemed doubtful there would be any survivors, indicating this might have been among the deadliest U.S. plane crashes in nearly 24 years.

John Donnelly, the fire chief in our country’s capital, stated that we have transitioned from a search and rescue phase to a recovery phase. He does not think there are any remaining survivors.

It’s also thought that three army personnel aboard a Black Hawk helicopter, as stated by an official earlier, might have perished during a training mission in the U.S. Army.

The plane’s main structure, turned upside down and divided into three parts, was submerged in water waist-deep. Additionally, remnants of a helicopter were discovered. Donnelly mentioned that on Thursday, rescue teams were scouring an expanse of the Potomac River, extending as far south as the Woodrow Wilson Bridge, approximately 4.8 kilometers (3 miles) from the airport.

The incident’s specific reason remained unclear at first, yet authorities mentioned that the weather during the flight was favorable. The plane, en route from Wichita, Kansas, carrying U.S. and Russian figure skaters along with others, was executing a regular landing when it collided mid-air with a helicopter.

As the American Airlines plane was preparing to land at Reagan National, it unfortunately struck a military aircraft during a routine approach,” explained American Airlines CEO Robert Isom. “At the moment, we are unsure as to why the military aircraft entered the flight path of our airplane.

Photos taken near the river displayed various boats nearby a partially flooded wing, along with the damaged remnants of the aircraft’s body.

Investigators aim to reconstruct the last minutes leading up to the aircrafts’ fatal collision, taking into account any communication with air traffic control and also the descent in altitude experienced by the passenger plane.

Secretary Sean Duffy simply stated that anyone who takes to American skies assumes we’ll do so securely. In other words, they expect a smooth journey from takeoff to landing. Unfortunately, this didn’t occur last night. He assured us that President Trump, his administration, the FAA, and the Department of Transportation are relentless in their pursuit of answers for the affected families and the public. Rest assured, when you fly, you’re in safe hands.

Reagan Airport is set to resume operations at 11 a.m. on Thursday, according to the Federal Aviation Administration. Earlier, the FAA had stated that it would remain closed until 5 a.m. on Friday.

Newly inaugurated Duffy was queried whether he could guarantee American citizens that U.S. skies remain the most secure.

Is it possible for me to assure the American flying public that our airspace is the safest and most secure in the globe? Indeed, yes, it is. We possess advanced warning systems about potential incidents, and I can confidently state that our airspace is unrivaled in terms of safety worldwide.

The most recent catastrophic crash involving a U.S. commercial airline took place in 2009, not far from Buffalo, New York. Tragically, all on board the Bombardier DHC-8 propeller plane – which included 45 passengers, two pilots, and two flight attendants – perished. Additionally, a person on the ground lost their life, resulting in a total of 50 fatalities. The cause was found to be that the captain mistakenly caused the plane to lose lift as it approached Buffalo Airport.

On the flight on Wednesday, there were a number of figure skaters, along with their trainers and relatives, who were coming back from a training camp held after the U.S. Figure Skating Championships in Wichita.

It’s regrettably confirmed that some members of the figure skating community in the U.S. were on American Airlines Flight 5342, which unfortunately collided with a helicopter yesterday evening over Washington, D.C. In a statement, U.S. Figure Skating expressed their deep sorrow over this unimaginable tragedy and are keeping the families of the victims in their thoughts.

U.S. Figure Skating did not identify any of the members of its team that were aboard the flight.

Two Russian figure skaters, Evgenia Shishkova and Vadim Naumov (who won the pairs title at the 1994 world championships and represented Russia in the Olympics on two occasions), have been recognized by the Kremlin. The Skating Club of Boston acknowledges them as coaches, and their son, Maxim Naumov, is a competitive figure skater for the United States.

Our sympathies go out to all those impacted by this unfortunate event. Skating isn’t just a game, it’s a tight-knit community, and we are united in our support,” expressed the International Skating Union in their statement.

On more than one occasion, the world of figure skating in the United States has been shaken by an aviation disaster. Tragically, on February 15, 1961, an aircraft carrying the U.S.’s 18-member team destined for the World Championships in Prague crashed near Berg-Kampenhout, approximately 45 minutes from Brussels. This incident claimed the lives of not only the skaters but also six U.S. coaches, four skating officials, and some family members.

This is a developing story.

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2025-01-30 17:25