A small American Airlines plane exploded mid-air near Washington DC, causing chaos and fears of numerous fatalities
Washington DC: A small American Airlines plane exploded mid-air on Wednesday evening. The incident happened near Ronald Reagan National Airport.
The plane was carrying about 60 passengers and four crew members. It crashed into the Potomac River after colliding with a US Army Blackhawk helicopter.
Fire boats and emergency responders rushed to the scene. The Federal Aviation Administration stopped all flights at the airport until at least 10:30 PM.
So far, 18 bodies have been recovered, and officials fear there could be 70 fatalities. The chilling video shows two aircraft merging into a fireball before crashing.
The American Airlines flight was coming from Wichita, Kansas, and was preparing to land. Authorities are concerned about the number of casualties from this tragic event.
Initially, the airport said it was operational while dealing with the incident. American Airlines later confirmed the flight was involved in the crash.
President Trump and Vice President Vance are monitoring the situation closely. Vance asked for prayers for everyone affected by the collision.
Some flights were redirected to Washington-Baltimore International Airport due to the incident. Four people were rescued from the water, but their conditions are unknown.
Emergency services are working to determine the cause of the crash. They expect a significant number of fatalities from this disaster.
As the situation unfolded, air traffic controllers were concerned about the plane’s landing. The pilots confirmed they could land, but the crash occurred moments later.
Washington Mayor Muriel Bowser expressed her thoughts and prayers for those involved. She promised to keep the public updated as more information becomes available.
Details emerged that the helicopter was coming from Fort Belvoir in Virginia. There were no VIPs on board the helicopter at the time of the crash.
