Trump says no survivors after midair collision between passenger jet and military helicopter | LIVE
An American Airlines regional jet went down in the Potomac River near Reagan National Airport.
WASHINGTON -- A regional American Airlines passenger jet and a Black Hawk military helicopter collided over Washington, D.C., on Wednesday night in the nation's first major commercial airline crash since 2009.
President Donald Trump said there were no survivors from the crash in remarks Thursday morning, calling the crash a "tragedy of terrible proportions."
"Our hearts are shattered," Trump said in a press briefing at the White House, after holding a moment of silence. "Our prayers are with you now and in the days to come."
"We are all searching for answers," Trump said, adding, "We do not know what led to this crash" but have "some pretty good ideas."
Crews have switched from a search and rescue operation to a recovery mission.
Twenty-eight bodies have been recovered, including 27 from the plane and one from the Black Hawk helicopter, Donnelly said.
Runway operations at the airport resumed around 11 a.m. Thursday.
There were 60 passengers and four crew members aboard the American Airlines flight 5342, which can hold up to 70 passengers. It departed from Wichita, Kansas, according to the FAA.
The Army helicopter, which had three soldiers on board, was on an "annual proficiency training flight" at the time of the crash, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth said in a video message.
"It was a fairly experienced crew that was doing a required annual night evaluation," Hegseth said. "They did have night vision goggles."
It was based at Fort Belvoir, Virginia, according to an Army official. "We are working with local officials and will provide additional information once it becomes available," the official said.
The Federal Aviation Administration said preliminary information indicates that a PSA Airlines Bombardier CRJ700 regional jet collided in midair with a Sikorsky H-60 helicopter while on approach to the airport.
Officials said the American Airlines aircraft's fuselage has been located in three difference sections of the river in waist-deep water. It was found "inverted."
The black boxes from the plane have not been recovered, a source with direct knowledge told ABC News.
The water temperature in the Potomac River is approximately 36 degrees, and the air temperature at the time of the crash was 50 degrees with winds gusting 25 to 30 mph.
The FAA and NTSB will investigate the crash, the FAA said, with the NTSB leading the investigation.
'Absolutely' preventable, transportation secretary says
President Donald Trump released a statement on social media about the crash seeming to question the actions of the helicopter pilots and Air Traffic Control.
"It is a CLEAR NIGHT, the lights on the plane were blazing, why didn't the helicopter go up or down, or turn," Trump posted on his platform Truth Social. "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!!!"
Asked about Trump's comments, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy told reporters Thursday, "To back up with the president said, what I've seen so far -- do I think this was preventable? Absolutely."
Duffy said that "everything was standard in the lead up to the crash."
"It is not standard to have aircraft collide. Want to be clear on that, but prior to the collision, the flight paths that were being flown from the military and from American that was not unusual for what happens in the D.C. airspace," Duffy added.
Duffy also said that there was no breakdown of communication.
Officials did not give any information on the flight history and experience of pilots on both aircraft, but did say that the captain had over six years of experience with the airline and the first officer had almost two years.
Figure skaters, coaches among passengers aboard jet that collided with helicopter over DC
Figure skaters and coaches returning from the recent U.S. national championships were aboard the American Airlines flight, officials said.
Fourteen figure skaters were among those lost in the crash, according to Doug Zeghibe, the CEO and executive director for the Skating Club of Boston.
Zeghibe said among the group of skaters, six were from the Skating Club of Boston, along with two coaches, two teenage athletes and athletes' moms. Zeghibe identified the two coaches as Evgenia Shishkova and Vadim Naumov. The two were 1994 World Pair Champions who joined the club in 2017, Zeghibe said.
"Six is a horrific number for us but we're fortunate and grateful it wasn't more than six," Zeghibe said. "This will have long reaching impacts for our skating community."
Zeghibe emphasized how tight-knit the skating community is and that "everyone is like family."
"We are devastated and completely at a loss for words," Zeghibe said.
NTSB leading investigation of mid-air collision: Official
The National Transportation Safety Board is leading the investigation of the deadly mid-air collision of American Airlines Flight 5342 and an Army Blackhawk helicopter, according to a statement from Joint Task Force-National Capital Region.
Ron McLendon II, a spokesperson for the Joint Task Force-National Capital Region, said the U.S. Army and the Federal Aviation Administration will assist with the investigation.
"The NTSB will lead the investigation. We are working with local officials and will provide any additional information once it becomes available," McLendon said.
Officials respond to crash
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said an immediate investigation has been launched, calling the incident "Absolutely tragic."
Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy posted on X that he is at FAA headquarters and "closely monitoring the situation." The Department of Homeland Security said DHS Secretary Kristi Noem has also been briefed on the crash and is monitoring the situation.
Vice President JD Vance posted on X, "Please say a prayer for everyone involved in the mid-air collision near Reagan airport this evening. We're monitoring the situation, but for now let's hope for the best."
Former President Joe Biden said he and the former first lady were "praying for for the families of the victims who tragically lost their lives in the plane and helicopter crash near DCA."
Former President Barrack Obama said in a statement that the Obama's "hearts break for the families who lost loved ones."
House Speaker Mike Johnson posted to X saying, "I'm deeply saddened to learn about the horrific tragedy at Reagan National Airport. Please join me in praying for everyone involved as well as our first responders."
Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin said on X that "extensive resources are fully supporting the search and rescue efforts" following the crash.
"First responders from across Northern Virginia, DC and Maryland mobilized quickly," he said. "I ask everyone to pray for the passengers, crews, their families, and brave first responders.
In somber remarks at a news conference early Thursday morning, Kansas Sen. Roger Marshall suggested he feared the passengers and crew aboard a regional American Airlines jet and a Black Hawk helicopter that collided were lost.
"When one person dies, it's a tragedy," Marshall said. "But when many, many, many people die, it's an unbearable sorrow ... It's really hard when you lose, you know, probably over 60 Kansans, simultaneously."
Speaking of the pilots, flight attendants and military personnel, Marshall added, "All those lives are so valuable, and it is such a tragedy that we lost them."
Fellow Kansas Sen. Jerry Moran said he knows the flight pattern of Flight 5342 well.
"I've flown it many times myself," Moran said, adding that he lobbied American Airlines to add direct, nonstop flight service from Wichita to Reagan National.
Direct flights from Wichita National Airport to DCA launched a year ago, said Jesse Romo, Wichita's director of airports.
American Airlines CEO Robert Isom released a video statement about the crash of Flight 5342 over the Potomac River on Wednesday night as it approached Reagan National Airport.
"First and most importantly I'd like to express our deep sorrow about these events," Isom said.
He said the airline is fully cooperating with the National Transportation Safety Board and working with federal, state and local authorities on the response to the crash. The airline is sending a "go team" to D.C. and Isom said he will join them shortly and that the
"We want to learn everything we can about today's events," Isom said. "That work will take time."
The Wichita National Airport has activated an incident and support team to help within the terminal to provide families with information, according to Romo.
Romo called the crash "devastating" during a press briefing tonight and said he believes there are family members of those aboard the American Airlines flight already at the airport seeking any updates.
If you believe you may have loved ones on board Flight 5342, call American Airlines toll-free at 800-679-8215. Those calling from outside the U.S. can visit news.aa.com for additional phone numbers. Family members in Canada, Puerto Rico or the U.S. Virgin Islands can call 800-679-8215 directly.
DC plane crash marks first major commercial crash in US since 2009
The crash involving a regional aircraft and a Black Hawk helicopter near Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport on Wednesday marks the first major commercial crash in the United States since 2009.
The last crash took place on Feb. 12, 2009, when Colgan Air Flight 3407 crashed during landing near Buffalo Niagara International Airport, killing all 49 people onboard.
There have been other deadly incidents in the U.S., such as the Asiana runway crash at San Francisco International Airport in 2013. Three people died when Flight 214 came in to the airport too low and too slow, hit a seawall and sheared the tail section and left engine off the plane as it spun down the runway.
One of the three who was killed was run over by an emergency vehicle responding to the crash.
Nearly 200 people were also injured in that crash, which was blamed on the Asiana Airlines pilots mismanaging the autopilot system, according to the National Transportation Safety Board.
The last fatality on a plane in the U.S. came in 2018 when a woman was partially sucked out of a Southwest Airlines window.
Passenger Jennifer Riordan died in that incident, when Flight 1380 suffered engine failure and had to make an emergency landing in Philadelphia.
