Latest news with #AriSchulman
Yahoo
30-01-2025
- General
- Yahoo
How midair Washington plane-helicopter crash unfolded
It was a cold and clear night in Washington as a passenger plane descended towards a runway at the US capital's airport, seemingly unaware that an army helicopter was flying into its path. American Airlines flight 5342, with 60 passengers and four crew, was in the final minutes of its journey from Wichita, Kansas -- where some figure skaters onboard had taken part in a competition and training camp. Meanwhile, a Black Hawk helicopter with three military personnel was flying at the same altitude over the Potomac River during what was described as a routine nighttime training flight. The first warning of an impending collision came from air traffic controllers. "Pat 2-5 do you have the CRJ in sight?" a controller asked, using the call sign for the Black Hawk helicopter, asking if it could see the airplane. Gasps could then be heard moments later, with one voice asking "tower, did you see that?" "I just saw a fireball and then it was just gone. I haven't seen anything since they hit the river," another air traffic controller said after the crash. A webcam at the nearby Kennedy Center captured the moment the helicopter flies into the well-lit plane, producing a bright flash followed by a plume of smoke, before the two aircraft fall from the sky. Witness Ari Schulman was driving home when he saw the plane, saying it "looked normal" before looking back seconds later to see it "banked all the way to the right." "I could see the underside of it. It was lit up a very bright yellow, and there was a stream of sparks underneath it," he told CNN. The plane and helicopter plunged into the icy waters below, prompting a desperate rescue mission that began with at least 300 first responders. Working with spotlights in pitch darkness, they began scouring the river for survivors -- a search that soon turned to a recovery operation of 67 bodies, with all those involved presumed dead. At Reagan National Airport, some were waiting to greet their loved ones from the flight when they learned of the crash. Hamaad Raza, whose wife was on the plane, told news outlet WUSA that she sent a message to say they were landing in 20 minutes. "The rest of my texts did not get delivered, that's when I realized something might be up," he said. bur-bjt/bgs
Observer
30-01-2025
- Politics
- Observer
Plane with 60 passengers collides with a helicopter in Washington
Washington - A US passenger plane carrying 64 people crashed into Washington DC's chilly Potomac River after colliding mid-air with a military helicopter on a nighttime training exercise Wednesday, prompting a major emergency response and the grounding of all flights. After flying from Kansas, The plane was about to land at nearby Reagan National Airport. American Airlines, whose subsidiary operated the flight, said "There were 60 passengers and four crew members on board the aircraft." A US Army official said the helicopter involved was a Black Hawk model carrying three soldiers -- their status currently unknown. They had been on a "training flight," a separate military spokesperson said in a statement. Washington police said, "There is no confirmed information on casualties at this time." However, a massive search and rescue operation was in progress, with divers visible as they plunged into the Potomac. The Washington Post quoted unnamed sources saying police had started to pull multiple bodies from the snow-lined Potomac. Witness Ari Schulman described "a stream of sparks" and what looked like a large firework when the collision erupted overhead as he drove home. "Initially I saw the plane and it looked fine, normal. It was right about to head over land," he told CNN. "Three seconds later, and at that point, it was banked to the right... I could see the underside of it, it was lit up a very bright yellow, and there was a stream of sparks underneath it," Schulman added. "It looked like a Roman candle." President Donald Trump said in a statement that he had been "fully briefed". He said of any victims, "May God bless their souls." - Dark, near-freezing river - The Federal Aviation Administration ordered the grounding of all planes at Reagan National. Washington's police said on X that "multiple agencies" were responding to the crash site in the Potomac. Kristi Noem, the country's new secretary of homeland security, posted on X that she was "deploying every available US Coast Guard resource for search and rescue efforts in this horrific incident at DCA." Police said fireboats had joined the operation on the river, where any work was complicated by the fact it was dark and close to freezing. Dozens of fire trucks headed toward the airport. The FAA said a Bombardier regional jet operated by American Airlines subsidiary PSA Airlines "collided in midair" with a Sikorsky UH-60 helicopter as it approached for landing at Reagan at around 9:00 pm (0200 GMT). The plane had left from Wichita, Kansas. US Senator Roger Marshall of Kansas said the collision was "nothing short of a nightmare." "I ask the world to join me in praying for Kansas this evening, the first responders, rescue crews, and all those involved in this horrific accident," he wrote on X. - Crowded airspace - Questions were expected to focus on how a passenger plane with modern collision-avoidance technology and nearby traffic controllers could collide with a military aircraft over the nation's capital. However, the airspace around Washington is often crowded, with planes coming in low over the city to land at Reagan Airport and helicopters -- military, civilian, and carrying senior politicians -- buzzing about both day and night. The same airport was the scene of a deadly crash in January 1982 when Air Florida flight 90, a Boeing 737, took off but quickly plummeted, hitting the 14th Street bridge and crashing through the ice into the Potomac River. 78 people died. Investigators concluded the pilot had failed to activate sufficient de-icing procedures. The last major fatal US crash was in 2009, when Continental Flight 3407 from New Jersey to Buffalo, New York crashed and killed all 49 people aboard.
Yahoo
30-01-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Washington DC plane crash: What we know so far about the mid-air collision near Reagan Airport
A commercial jet with 64 civilians on board collided with an Army helicopter while approaching Ronald Reagan National Airport near Washington D.C on Wednesday night, leaving law enforcement officials scrambling. A massive search-and-rescue operation for survivors, involving multiple agencies, was launched in the nearby Potomac River, where the temperature was 42 degrees. So far, 19 bodies have been recovered from the river with 67 people feared dead, according to the BBC. The crash occurred around Ronald Reagan National Airport in Washington D.C. at 8:47 ET on Wednesday night. An American Airlines plane inbound from Kansas collided with a U.S. Army Black Hawk helicopter, with footage from nearby showing a fireball following what appears to be a crash between two described a visible explosion lighting up the night sky. 'It looked to me like a giant Roman candle, sparks shooting from the head of the plane down to the tail. I saw that for about two seconds,' bystander Ari Schulman told NBC Washington. Air traffic control watched as the passenger jet and helicopter collided before plunging into the river. In audio obtained by CBS News, a dispatcher said: "The accident happened in the river. Both the helicopter and the plane crashed in the river." The airport will remain closed until 11am as helicopters from law enforcement agencies across the region flew over the scene in search of survivors. Inflatable rescue boats were launched into the Potomac River from a point near the airport along the George Washington Parkway, just north of the airport. Video from an observation camera at the nearby Kennedy Center shows two sets of lights consistent with separate aircraft appearing to conjoin in a large fireball. President Donald Trump said he had been 'fully briefed on this terrible accident" and, referring to the passengers, added: 'May God Bless their souls.' The president later wrote that the tragedy 'should have been avoided.' While questions remain, including how the horrific incident could have occurred in the heavily monitored air space so close to the Pentagon, here's what we know so far: A group of those on board the American Airlines flight were figure skaters and coaches who were in Wichita to compete in the National Figure Skating championships which ran from January 20 and 26. Some stayed on for a conference, according to Team USA skater Luke Wang. Two of the people on board the American Airlines flight have been named as Vadim Naumov and Evgenia Shishkova, they were the 1994 World Figure Skating Championship pairs winners. Russian news agencies have said that there were multiple passengers on board who were Russian immigrants or the children of emigre. TASS named another victim as legendary Soviet Union figure skater Inna Volyanskaya. The Federal Aviation Administration later confirmed that a commercial flight had collided with a helicopter, later revealed to be a Black Hawk helicopter piloted by the Army. Around 11.40 p.m., a law enforcement officer told CNN there had some confirmed fatalities but that rescuers had not yet pulled any survivors from the water. Some 60 passengers and four crew members were aboard the passenger plane, operated by American Airlines. According to the airline, American Eagle Flight 5342 had been en route from Wichita, Kansas, to Washington, D.C. when the collision occurred. 'Our concern is for the passengers and crew on board the aircraft. We are in contact with authorities and assisting with emergency response efforts,' American Airlines said in a statement. Worried family members gathered near the site waiting for information about their loved ones. Hamaad Raza, whose wife was on board, said she had texted him 20 minutes before the incident telling him they were about to land. When his responses stopped being delivered, 'That's when I knew something could be up,' he told CNN. The Association of Flight Attendants, which represents cabin crews at PSA Airlines, said in a statement that there were two flight attendants on board the plane. 'While we mobilize to support the families and crews directly affected by this incident, we are also sending strength to all first responders doing everything they can to bring survivors to safety,' union president Sara Nelson said. Three U.S. Army soldiers were onboard the Black Hawk helicopter involved in the collision, a U.S. official confirmed on Wednesday. The official, speaking on the condition of anonymity, said the status of the soldiers was unknown, but added that no senior officials were on the helicopter. Another official said the Army UH-60 helicopter involved in the crash was based out of Fort Belvoir, Virginia. It was later confirmed that the aircraft and its crew were on a training flight. President Donald Trump responded to the crash through official channels before taking to Truth Social to question 'why didn't the helicopter go up or down'. In a statement released via White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt, Trump said: "I have been fully briefed on the terrible accident which just took place at Reagan National Airport. May God Bless their souls. Thank you for the incredible work being done by our first responders.' Later on Truth Social, Trump said: 'The airplane was on a perfect and routine line of approach to the airport. 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. Why didn't the control tower tell the helicopter what to do instead of asking if they saw the plane. — Karoline Leavitt (@PressSec) January 30, 2025 'This is a bad situation that looks like it should have been prevented. NOT GOOD!!!' Transport secretary Sean Duffy – who was confirmed just two days ago – said he was onsite at the FAA HQ to monitor the situation. In a post on X, Vice President JD Vance urged people to 'say a prayer for everyone involved in the mid-air collision near Reagan airport this evening. We're monitoring the situation, but for now let's hope for the best,' he said. Meanwhile, newly confirmed Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said in a statement on social media that the department was 'deploying every available U.S. Coast Guard resource for search and rescue efforts.' She added: 'We are actively monitoring the situation & stand ready to support local responders.' Noem expressed her concern and prayers for the victims and first responders. Virginia representative Don Beyer added: 'I am following the response to a reported aviation incident at DCA, and am in touch with airport officials as we try to learn more about what happened and why. This is obviously very worrying, but I urge the community to please let first responders do their jobs and save lives.'
Al-Ahram Weekly
30-01-2025
- General
- Al-Ahram Weekly
Plane carrying more than 60 collides with helicopter, crashes in Washington - International
A US passenger plane carrying 64 people crashed into Washington DC's chilly Potomac River after colliding midair with a military helicopter on a nighttime training exercise Wednesday, prompting a major emergency response and the grounding of all flights. The plane had been about to land at nearby Reagan National Airport after flying from Kansas. American Airlines, whose subsidiary operated the flight, said "there were 60 passengers and four crew members on board the aircraft." A US Army official said the helicopter involved was a Black Hawk model carrying three soldiers -- their status currently unknown. They had been on a "training flight," a separate military spokesperson said in a statement. Washington police said "there is no confirmed information on casualties at this time." However, a massive search and rescue operation was in progress, with divers visible as they plunged into the snow-lined Potomac. The Washington Post quoted unnamed sources saying police had started to pull multiple bodies from the water. Witness Ari Schulman described "a stream of sparks" and what looked like a large firework when the collision erupted overhead as he drove home. "Initially I saw the plane and it looked fine, normal. It was right about to head over land," he told CNN. "Three seconds later, and at that point it was banked all the way to the right... I could see the underside of it, it was lit up a very bright yellow, and there was a stream of sparks underneath it," Schulman added. "It looked like a Roman candle." President Donald Trump said in an official statement that he had been "fully briefed" and said of any victims, "may God bless their souls." But less than four hours after the disaster -- and while other officials stressed they were waiting for investigations to unfold -- he went on social media to critique the air traffic control. "The airplane was on a perfect and routine line of approach to the airport. 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," Trump wrote on his app Truth Social. "Why didn't the helicopter go up or down, or turn. 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!!!" Dark, near-freezing river The Federal Aviation Administration ordered the grounding of all planes at Reagan National, and Washington's police said on X that "multiple agencies" were responding to the crash site in the Potomac. Kristi Noem, the country's new secretary of homeland security, posted on X that she was "deploying every available US Coast Guard resource for search and rescue efforts in this horrific incident at DCA." Police said fireboats had joined the operation on the river, where any work was complicated by the fact it was dark and close to freezing. Dozens of fire trucks headed toward the airport. The FAA said a Bombardier regional jet operated by American Airlines subsidiary PSA Airlines "collided in midair" with a Sikorsky UH-60 helicopter as it approached for landing at Reagan at around 9:00 pm (0200 GMT). The plane had left from Wichita, Kansas. US Senator Roger Marshall of Kansas said on X the collision was "nothing short of a nightmare." American Airlines' CEO issued a video statement in which he expressed "deep sorrow." Crowded airspace Questions were expected to focus on how a passenger plane with modern collision-avoidance technology and nearby traffic controllers could collide with a military aircraft over the nation's capital. The airspace around Washington is often crowded, with planes coming in low over the city to land at Reagan airport and helicopters -- military, civilian and carrying senior politicians -- buzzing about both day and night. The same airport was the scene of a deadly crash in January 1982 when Air Florida flight 90, a Boeing 737, took off but quickly plummeted, hitting the 14th Street bridge and crashing through the ice into the Potomac River. 78 people died. Investigators concluded the pilot had failed to activate sufficient de-icing procedures. The last major fatal US crash was in 2009, when Continental Flight 3407 from New Jersey to Buffalo, New York crashed and killed all 49 people aboard. Short link:
Khaleej Times
30-01-2025
- General
- Khaleej Times
Plane crash in US: American Airlines jet collides with helicopter near Washington Airport
A US passenger plane carrying 64 people crashed into Washington DC's chilly Potomac River after colliding midair with a military helicopter on a nighttime training exercise Wednesday, prompting a major emergency response and the grounding of all flights. The plane was about to land at nearby Reagan National Airport after flying from Kansas. American Airlines, whose subsidiary operated the flight, said "there were 60 passengers and four crew members on board the aircraft". A US Army official said the helicopter involved was a Black Hawk model carrying three soldiers — their status currently unknown. They had been on a "training flight," a separate military spokesperson said in a statement. Washington police said "there is no confirmed information on casualties at this time". However, a massive search-and-rescue operation was in progress, with divers visible as they plunged into the snow-lined Potomac. The Washington Post quoted unnamed sources saying the police had started to pull multiple bodies from the water. What residents saw Witness Ari Schulman described "a stream of sparks" and what looked like a large firework when the collision erupted overhead as he drove home. "Initially, I saw the plane and it looked fine, normal. It was right about to head over land," he told CNN. "Three seconds later, and at that point it was banked all the way to the right... I could see the underside of it, it was lit up a very bright yellow, and there was a stream of sparks underneath it," Schulman added. "It looked like a Roman candle." 'It is a clear night' President Donald Trump said in an official statement that he had been "fully briefed" and said of any victims, "may God bless their souls". But less than four hours after the disaster — and while other officials stressed they were waiting for investigations to unfold — he went on social media to critique the air traffic control. "The airplane was on a perfect and routine line of approach to the airport. 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," Trump wrote on his app Truth Social. "Why didn't the helicopter go up or down, or turn. 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!!!" Takeoff, landing halted The Federal Aviation Administration ordered the grounding of all planes at Reagan National, and Washington's police said on X that "multiple agencies" were responding to the crash site in the Potomac. Kristi Noem, the country's new secretary of homeland security, posted on X that she was "deploying every available US Coast Guard resource for search and rescue efforts in this horrific incident at DCA." Police said fireboats had joined the operation on the river, where any work was complicated by the fact it was dark and close to freezing. Dozens of fire trucks headed toward the airport. The FAA said a Bombardier regional jet operated by American Airlines subsidiary PSA Airlines "collided in midair" with a Sikorsky UH-60 helicopter as it approached for landing at Reagan at around 9:00 pm (0200 GMT). The plane had left from Wichita, Kansas. US Senator Roger Marshall of Kansas said on X the collision was "nothing short of a nightmare." American Airlines' CEO issued a video statement in which he expressed "deep sorrow." Previous plane crashes Questions were expected to focus on how a passenger plane with modern collision-avoidance technology and nearby traffic controllers could collide with a military aircraft over the nation's capital. The airspace around Washington is often crowded, with planes coming in low over the city to land at Reagan airport and helicopters — military, civilian and carrying senior politicians — buzzing about both day and night. The same airport was the scene of a deadly crash in January 1982 when Air Florida flight 90, a Boeing 737, took off but quickly plummeted, hitting the 14th Street bridge and crashing through the ice into the Potomac River. Seventy-eight people died. Investigators concluded the pilot had failed to activate sufficient de-icing procedures. The last major fatal US crash was in 2009, when Continental Flight 3407 from New Jersey to Buffalo, New York crashed and killed all 49 people aboard.
