A tragic mid-air collision in Washington, D.C. leaves many feared dead, including passengers and crew from an American Airlines flight.
Washington D.C.: A search and rescue mission is ongoing after a shocking crash. An American Airlines passenger jet collided with a Black Hawk helicopter. This happened as the plane was landing at Reagan Washington National Airport. Officials haven’t confirmed any survivors yet.
The small aircraft had 60 passengers and four crew members on board. It went down into the Potomac River around 9 PM local time. Fireboats and first responders rushed to the scene to help. Investigators from various agencies are also on-site.
Metropolitan Police Department officials are involved in the rescue efforts. Meanwhile, the Federal Aviation Administration has halted all takeoffs and landings at the airport. This grounding will last until at least 10:30 PM. So far, 27 bodies have been recovered from the icy river.
Locals noticed something was wrong when flights were diverted. They saw a white flash but didn’t realize the severity of the situation. A nearby pilot witnessed the explosion and reported it to air traffic control. The tower quickly diverted other aircraft from the area.
Video from the Kennedy Center captured lights that looked like aircraft joining in a fireball. A motorist, Ari Schulman, saw the crash while driving. He described the jet flying at a strange angle before disappearing into darkness.
The American Airlines plane split in two and is now in about seven feet of water. The weather has been extremely cold, with the river freezing recently. Anyone in the water faces severe risks of pneumonia and other infections.
As the search continues, a passenger’s husband shared her last text. Raza received a message saying, “landing in 20 minutes.” He felt something was wrong when he couldn’t reply. His wife was returning from a work trip in Kansas.
US Figure Skating confirmed that several skaters were on board the flight. Russian news reported that two world-class figure skaters, Yevgenia Shishkova and Vadim Naumov, were also on the flight. The organization expressed their devastation over the tragedy.
