American Airlines reported that a commercial plane carrying 60 people and 4 crew members crash into the Potomac River near Washington DC after the plane collide with a military helicopter.
The U.S. Army confirmed that the helicopter was a Black Hawk. Early reports say three people were on board.
The collision of the American Airlines passenger plane and military helicopter took place at around 21:00 local time (2:00 GMT) on Wednesday night.
Crashed American Airlines plane 5342 was approaching Ronald Reagan National Airport from Wichita, Kansas.
Reagan Airport has responded immediately to the plane crash. They stated, “All takeoffs and landings have been halted at DCA. Emergency personnel are responding to an aircraft incident on the airfield. The terminal remains open. Will update.”
They also tweeted, “We are not expecting flights to resume until at least 11 a.m. today (Thursday). We will update if this changes. Also, stay in touch with your airline for schedule updates.”
Officials have not confirmed any casualties yet, but CBS, the BBC’s US partner, reported that police found 18 bodies with no survivors.
American Airlines has provided a toll-free number for Washington DC Plane Crash
American Airlines has provided a toll-free number for those worried about loved ones on Flight 5342. People in the U.S., Canada, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands can call 800-679-8215 for information. Those outside the U.S. can visit news.aa.com for contact details.
John Donnelly Fire and EMS Chief of Washington D.C said via press conference, “We don’t know if there are survivors.”
“At 8:58, the first units arrived on the scene and found an aircraft in the water, and began rescue operations. This incident has grown. There are currently about 300 responders working.” “It’s a highly complex operation. The conditions out there are extremely rough for the responders. It’s cold. They’re dealing with relatively windy conditions.”
Trump comments on the crash
President Donald Trump released a statement on social media on his platform Truth social media. He posted, “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. This is a bad situation that looks like it should have been prevented. NOT GOOD!!!”
