UK issues travel warning after horrific Washington plane crash tragedy
At least 28 bodies have been pulled from the icy Potomac River after the American Airlines jet, carrying 60 passengers and four crew members collided with an Army helicopter while landing at Ronald Reagan National Airport near Washington DC, officials said.
Crews were still searching for other casualties but did not believe there were any other survivors out of the 67 people involved, which would make it the deadliest US air crash in nearly 24 years.
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The UK Foreign Office has issued a new warning about potential flight disruption for passengers travelling overseas. The travel advice also covers American Samoa, Guam, Northern Mariana Islands, Puerto Rico, and United States Virgin Islands.
Passengers due to fly to the affected area have been urged to follow the guidance of local services, be prepared for delays and check with travel operators for information regarding cancellations or delays.
The update read: "Recovery efforts are underway in Washington DC following the fatal air accident on 29 January involving American Airlines flight 5342 from Wichita, Kansas, and a military helicopter.
"If you are concerned about anybody who may have been involved in the accident, contact American Airlines on 1800 679 8215 (from inside the US), or see news.aa.com.
"If you are due to fly in the affected area, follow the guidance of local services, check with your airline or travel operator for information on possible flight cancellations or delays and be prepared for potential delays at the airport."
The Federal Aviation Administration said the mid-air crash occurred before 9pm local time when a regional jet that had departed from Wichita, Kansas, collided with a military helicopter on a training flight while on approach to an airport runway.
It occurred in some of the most tightly controlled and monitored airspace in the world, just over three miles south of the White House and the Capitol.
Investigators will try to piece together the aircraft's final moments before their collision, including contact with air traffic controllers as well as a loss of altitude by the passenger jet. The body of the plane was found upside down in three sections in waist-deep water. The wreckage of the helicopter was also found.
There was no immediate word on the cause of the Wednesday collision, but officials said flight conditions were clear as the jet coming from Wichita, Kansas, with US and Russian figure skaters and others aboard, was making a routine landing when the helicopter flew into its path.
Images from the river showed boats around the partly submerged wing and what appeared to be the mangled wreckage of the plane's fuselage.
Passengers on the flight included a group of figure skaters, their coaches and family members who were returning from a development camp that followed the US Figure Skating Championships in Wichita.
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