30/01/2025 09:24
The Guardian
An American Airlines passenger jet with 64 onboard was coming in to land at Ronald Reagan Washington national airport when it collided with a military helicopterWashington DC plane crash – latest updatesFull report: American Airlines jet crashes after midair collisionSign up for the First Edition emailA regional passenger jet with 64 onboard has collided with a military helicopter before crashing into the Potomac river while approaching Ronald Reagan Washington national airport on Wednesday night.The American Airlines flight, operated by PSA Airlines as American Eagle Flight 5342, had flown from Wichita, Kansas, carrying 60 passengers and four crew members when it collided with a Black Hawk helicopter that was on a training flight.Media sources have reported that 19 bodies have been recovered so far from the Potomac river, where both aircraft fell. About 300 first responders were working on the rescue operation. The Potomac River is about 8 feet deep.The helicopter was believed to be carrying three soldiers, with no senior army officials onboard. The Black Hawk helicopter involved in the crash was based out of Fort Belvoir, Virginia.Russian state media has reported that figure skaters Evgenia Shishkova and Vadim Naumov were on board. The pair, who were married, won the world championships in pairs figure skating in 1994 and lived in the US. The governing body for figure skating in the United States confirmed that athletes, coaches and family members were returning from the national development camp held in conjunction with the US championships in Kansas.Temperatures in the area were below freezing, and any length of time spent in the water would be extremely dangerous for anyone who survived the initial incident, with hypothermia setting in quickly in very cold water.Inflatable boats and dive teams searched the site, with helicopters circling above, and large floodlights illuminating the scene from the shore. About 300 responders were involved in the search. The operations were made more difficult by strong gusts of wind as well as the cold.Washington DC fire and emergency medical services chief John Donnelly said: “The challenges are access … there is wind, there [are] pieces of ice out there, so it’s just dangerous and hard to work inThe helicopter was on a training exercise in some of the most tightly controlled airspace in the world. The weather in DC was clear. There was no immediate indication of any deliberate or terrorist cause.All takeoffs and landings have been halted at the airport while the rescue operation is underway.President Donald Trump said he had been briefed on the “terrible accident” and praising the “incredible work” done by emergency services. He later said on social media that the crash “should have been prevented”.Pete Hegseth, sworn in just days ago as Trump’s defense secretary, posted on social media that an investigation has been “launched immediately” by the army and the defense departmentAri Schulman, an eyewitness who was driving home when the incident happened, described a “stream of sparks” overhead. “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. It looked like a Roman candle.”American Airlines has set up a phone line for relatives who believe they may have lost ones one on board. Continue reading...
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