Many feared dead after passenger jet, helicopter collide in Washington

Dubai Eye

30-01-2025

Scores of people were feared dead after an American Airlines regional passenger jet with 64 people on board and a US Army Black Hawk helicopter collided and crashed into the frigid Potomac River near Reagan Washington National Airport.
Officials did not provide a death toll from Wednesday night's collision but US Senator Roger Marshall of Kansas, where the flight originated, suggested most if not all those on board had been killed.
"It's really hard when you lose probably over 60 Kansans simultaneously," he told a press conference at Reagan airport in the nation's capital early on Thursday.
"When one person dies, it's a tragedy, but when many, many, many people die, it's an unbearable sorrow. It's a heartbreak beyond measure."
Jack Potter, the president and CEO of the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority, said first responders were in "rescue mode."
American Airlines confirmed 60 passengers and four crew members were aboard the jet. The helicopter, on a training flight, was carrying three soldiers, a US official said.
Passengers on the flight included i ce skater, family and coaches returning from events in Wichita, including Russian-born former world champions Yevgenia Shishkova and Vadim Naumov.
CBS News reported that a dive team had recovered one of the two data recorders, the so-called black boxes, from the plane. Two sources told Reuters multiple bodies had been pulled from the water.
The mid-air collision occurred as the passenger jet, traveling from Wichita in Kansas, was on approach to land at Reagan. Radio communications between the air traffic control tower and the Black Hawk showed the helicopter crew knew the plane was in the vicinity.
The Pentagon said it was launching an investigation.
In a post on Truth Social, President Donald Trump questioned the actions of the helicopter crew and air traffic controllers.
"The helicopter was going straight at the airplane for an extended period of time. It is a CLEAR NIGHT, the lights on the plane were blazing, why didn't the helicopter go up or down, or turn," Trump wrote.
"Why didn't the control tower tell the helicopter what to do instead of asking if they saw the plane. This is a bad situation that looks like it should have been prevented. NOT GOOD!!!"
Air traffic control recordings appear to capture the final attempted communications with the helicopter, call sign PAT25, before it collides with the plane, described as CRJ.
"PAT25, do you have a CRJ in sight? PAT25, pass behind the CRJ," an air traffic controller says at 8:47 p.m. (0147 GMT), according to a recording on liveatc.net.
Seconds later, another aircraft calls in to air traffic control, saying, "Tower, did you see that?" - apparently referring to the crash. An air traffic controller then redirects planes heading to runway 33 to go around.
Webcam video of the crash showed the collision and an explosion lighting up the night sky.
"I just saw a fireball and then it was just gone. I haven't seen anything since they hit the river," an air traffic controller was heard saying over the radio.
RESCUE EFFORTS
The skaters on board were returning from a camp following an event in Wichita, governing body US Figure Skating said.
"We are devastated by this unspeakable tragedy and hold the victims' families closely in our hearts," it said.
Russian media said Shishkova and Naumov, who were married and working as coaches, were returning from Wichita with a group of young skaters. Russia's Mash news outlet published a list of 13 skaters, many of them the children of Russian emigres to the US, who it said were believed to have been on the plane.
The Kremlin offered condolences to the families of Russians killed and said there were no plans for contacts for now between president Vladimir Putin and Trump.
Washington DC fire chief John Donnelly said first responders were working on the rescue operation.
"Conditions out there are extremely rough for the responders," Donnelly said. "It's cold. They're dealing with windy conditions."
Asked whether there were any survivors, he said: "We don't know yet."
"At these frigid water temperatures, the human body's core temperature quickly drops. Exhaustion or unconsciousness can occur in as little as 15 to 30 minutes," AccuWeather Senior Director of Forecast Operations Dan DePodwin said.
Airports authority CEO Potter said the airport would remain closed until at least 11:00 a.m. on Thursday.
"We're cooperating with the National Transportation Safety Board in its investigation and will continue to provide all the information we can," American Airlines CEO Robert Isom said.