A devastating mid-air collision between an American Airlines passenger jet and a US Army Black Hawk helicopter above Washington D.C. has resulted in no expected survivors.
The incident took place around 9 p.m. EST on Wednesday when the aircraft from Wichita, Kansas, with 64 passengers and crew, collided with the military helicopter over the Potomac River near Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport.
Rescue operations quickly transitioned to recovery efforts after the crash. Fire and EMS Chief John Donnelly reported that 28 bodies were recovered, with 27 from the plane and one from the helicopter.
The cause of the crash is under investigation, particularly the helicopter’s presence in that airspace. Last communications from air traffic control show an instruction for the helicopter to pass behind the passenger plane, but there was no response from the helicopter recorded.
President Donald Trump, briefed on the situation, plans to address the nation at 11 a.m. EST, questioning the avoidability of such an incident and describing it as a “bad situation” that “should have been prevented.”
This marks the first fatal commercial aviation accident in the U.S. since 2009, raising significant concerns about air safety in one of the nation’s most heavily regulated airspaces.
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