Midair Collision Near Washington, D.C. Results in Tragedy
Tragedy struck just outside the nation’s capital when a midair collision between a Black Hawk military helicopter and a passenger plane occurred on Wednesday night. The devastating incident, which left authorities fearing no survivors, involved nearly 70 individuals aboard both aircraft.
The event unfolded as American Airlines Flight 5342, operated by PSA Airlines from Kansas, collided with the military helicopter, causing both to crash into the Potomac River. The collision was captured on video by the Kennedy Center, depicting two sets of lights merging followed by a distant explosion.
D.C. Fire and EMS Chief John A. Donnelly provided updates on the situation Thursday morning, transitioning the efforts from rescue to recovery. “Despite all those efforts we are now at a point where we are switching from a rescue operation to a recovery operation. At this point, we don’t believe there are any survivors from this accident. We have recovered 27 people from from the plane and one from the helicopter. The District Office of the Medical Examiner has lead on reuniting these bodies and these people with their loved ones. And we will continue to work to find all the bodies and collect them and reunite them with their loved ones. We should also acknowledge that the Virginia Medical Examiner and the Army Medical Examiner are involved in this operation and a very important part of getting people identified,” Donnelly stated.
The Potomac River’s challenging conditions, described by Donnelly as “dark” and “murky,” have complicated recovery efforts. Among the plane’s passengers were Russian figure skaters and other individuals identified by the Kremlin. They had recently participated in a camp following the U.S. Figure Skating Championships in Wichita.
At Reagan National Airport, anxious family members of passengers awaited news, their plight highlighting the human cost of the catastrophe. Kansas Senator Roger Marshall expressed his sorrow: “When one person dies it’s a tragedy, but when many, many, many people die it’s an unbearable sorrow.”
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) confirmed that Flight 5342 departed from Wichita, Kansas, carrying 60 passengers and four crew members. The Black Hawk helicopter had three soldiers onboard. Immediate response came from fire rescue boats and a Metropolitan Police Department helicopter according to wtop.com.
Authorities, including newly appointed Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, are closely monitoring the situation. President Donald Trump has been briefed on the incident, and investigations are underway to determine the cause. The collision led to a temporary halt in aircraft operations at Ronald Reagan National Airport, with flights expected to resume on Thursday as per the FAA.
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