Passenger Plane, Helicopter Crash Near Washington, D.C.

DOzensi is afraid of the dead after the flight of Regional American Airlines, driven by PSA Airlines, collided with a military helicopter on the middle on Wednesday night, when he was supposed to land at Ronald Reagan Washington’s national airport.

About 300 respondents are allocated to the nearby Potomac River, where a collision occurred, to find survivors, according to local officials. Did not officially announce the number of casualties, although the allegedly unnamed source for the implementation of the law said CBS News that at least 19 bodies have been recovered so far.

The commercial jet had 64 people on board, while the military helicopter had three people on board, the Mayor of District Columbia Muriel Bowser said At a press conference early Thursday morning.

The collision happened in one of the most common air spaces in the US, with the proximity of the White House, the US Capitol and other important government buildings. The cause of the collision remains unknown, and the investigation conducted by the National Traffic Safety Committee.

On Wednesday night, the incident is the first major main incident of commercial aviation in 16 years after Collision Buffalo 2009who killed 49 on the Colgan Air Flight 3407 and one on the ground.

Flights at Reagan Airport have been grounded since then, and it is expected that Thursday will continue on Thursday, states announcement.

Here’s what we know so far:

What happened?

According to a statement From the Federal Air Force Administration (FAA), a regional jet that manages the Airlines PSA – a American Airlines branch – took off from Wichita, Cans. And collided in Midar with the Black Hawk helicopter, the US Army Sikorsky H-60, while around 9pm Et approached Reagan Airport 33.

A video of the alleged collision captured by an observation camera spreads on Social media“In addition to two illuminated elements in the sky, converging before exploding into a fireball.

Air traffic controller Time downloaded from Liveatc.net discovered what happened for a few moments before the collision. The tower cleaned a landing plane on the runway 33, but just a few seconds before the collision, an air traffic operator asked a helicopter – with a radio call Pat 25 – if a commercial jet – in sight as a CRJ – was in sight.

“Pat 2-5 Do you have a crj in sight?” The air traffic operator said to the helicopter. After a short break, he said, “Pat 2-5 go behind CRJ.”

A second later, he sighed and loud “Oooh!” he could hear. Then, “Tower, did you see that?”

Later, in a feed for transfer, someone from the tower then said: “I don’t know if you caught what happened earlier, but there was a collision on the approach at 3-3. If you want to return to the door, we will exclude operations for an indefinite future .This suggests you coordinate with the company.

Who was on the helicopter ship?

A US army spokesman confirmed the time that the helicopter flew out of Fort Belvoir, an army in Virginia.

According to the US Defense Officer who speaks CNNThe helicopter had a crew of three and did not wear any VIP. Common Working Group-National Region Media Heather Coussez Region said CBS News that the helicopter was in training and belonged to B Company, 12. Airline battalion.

Who was on the passenger?

American Airlines said there were 60 passengers and four crew members on the ship of the American Eagle Flight 5342, and that they were in contact with the authorities and helping in emergency efforts.

Russian State News Agency Tass reported That Evgenia Shishkova and Vadim Naumov, the former world champions in pairs of skating figures who have become coaches since then have been on the plane.

ORGANIZATION OF SKINING IN THE USA said NBC News early Thursday In the morning that several athletes, coaches and family members were also on board, returning from the camp held with the American Skating Championship in Wichiti. “We are relaxed by this unspeakable tragedy and we keep the victims’ families in our hearts,” the organization said.

Association of Leta-Cwa (AFA-CWA) participants, an alliance of over 50,000 flight participants in 20 airlines, UA said statement that two of his members worked in the flight. “We ask the public to keep their families in your thoughts and respect the efforts to get the information to loved ones first because everyone is holding hope for survivors,” the statement said.

What do we know about the passenger nozzle?

According to APFlight 5342 flew to Reagan National at an altitude of about 400 feet and about 140 mph when he quickly lost his height over the Potomac River, citing data from the radio transponder aircraft. The transponder then stopped transferring about 2400 feet from the runway, approximately in the middle of the river.

Flight 5342 used the CRJ700 aircraft from the Canadian Bombardier aircraft manufacturing company. PSA Airlines began led flights to CRJ700 2002. The plane has a capacity of 65 seats.

What is the status of an effort to search and rescue?

On early Thursday informingJohn Donnelly, head of the DC fire and emergency medical services, said he expects the searches and rescue operations to take days because the weather conditions are “extremely rough” and “dangerous” for respondents. “It’s cold,” he said. “They deal with relatively windy conditions.” American geological examination recorded That the water in Rijeka Potomac is near Washington, DC is about 34 ° F around the collision time, and since then it has descended to 32 ° F as well as rescue operations continue.

Donnelly explained that divers had difficulties because the Potomac River was not lit and had “dark” and “blurry” water.

What did US officials say about the collision?

President Donald Trump was “fully familiar” on Wednesday night after a collision between a passenger jet and an army of helicopters. Thanked the first answers of the UA statementbut later published on his Truth social The account that the incident was a “bad situation” that “looks like it should have been prevented.”

The traffic secretary Sean Duffy, who was just confirmed on Tuesday, said he spoke with Trump and Defense Minister Pete Hegseth, like the Governor of Kansas and Virginia. “We will give full support to those on the field, mayor, but also the NTSB, which will lead [an] An investigation into this issue, “Duffy said in a journalist briefing.

Also in the briefing was Senator Jerry Moran (R-Kans.), Who said, “I know that flight. I was flying

I have been many times. I lobbied American Airlines to start a direct flight service for non-stop for DCA. “He said that the collision was” very personal circumstance, “as in Kansas, and especially in Wichiti,” we will know the people who are on this flight – know their family members, know someone. “

Mayor Bowser, speaking on briefing, said he was “extremely sorry” for families who experience loss: “My sadness for all people and crew on the plane and our military staff on the helicopter is very deep.” Bowser added, “We will recover our fellow citizens.”

In the post on X (earlier Twitter), Vice -President JD Vance encouraged people to utter prayer for those involved in the collision in Mid. “We are following the situation, but for now we hope for the best,” he said.

The speaker of Mike Johnson’s house, in his statementHe said he was “sad that he learned about the horrific tragedy” at the National Airport Reagan and sought all prayers.

Democratic Governor Kansas Laura Kelly she said she was aware of the collisionand that her thoughts “come out to those involved.”