A mid-air collision between an American Airlines passenger jet and a US Army Black Hawk helicopter over Washington D.C. has led to a tragic outcome with no survivors expected.
The incident happened around 9 p.m. EST on Wednesday when the plane, carrying 64 individuals from Wichita, Kansas, collided with the helicopter above the Potomac River near Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport.
The crash prompted an immediate emergency response, with officials confirming the switch from rescue to recovery operations. Fire and EMS Chief John Donnelly announced that 28 bodies had been recovered, with 27 from the plane and one from the helicopter.
The focus of the investigation now centers on why the helicopter was flying in that particular location at that time. Air traffic control audio captured the last communications, including instructions for the helicopter to pass behind the passenger plane, but there was no recorded response from the helicopter.
President Donald Trump, who has been briefed on the incident, is set to address the public at 11 a.m. EST. He has questioned the preventability of the accident, calling it a “bad situation” that “should have been prevented.”
This event marks the first deadly commercial airline incident in the U.S. since 2009, highlighting concerns about air safety in one of the most controlled airspaces in the world.
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