American Airlines jet collides with helicopter in Washington DC, 67 feared dead

Tragic news out of Washington, DC, after an American Airlines passenger jet carrying 64 people collided with a U.S. Army Black Hawk helicopter carrying three soldiers Wednesday night (Jan. 29) near Reagan National Airport.

A large-scale search involving some 300 responders is underway to recover bodies from the Potomac River, where both aircraft landed after crashing. 

According to the Washington Post, as of early Thursday morning, no survivors have been found. Freezing water and lack of light have complicated search efforts, but at least 30 bodies have so far been found, reports say.

All 67 people on board both aircraft, which crashed at around 9 p.m. EST, are feared dead, said Kansas Senator Roger Marshall in a statement.

The PSA Airlines-operated American Airlines aircraft was flying from Wichita to Reagan National with 60 passengers and four crew members. The helicopter was reportedly on a training flight, carrying three service members.

Figure skaters among dead

U.S. Figure Skating has also confirmed that several members of its community and teams were on board the plane.

“These athletes, coaches, and family members were returning home from the National Development Camp held in conjunction with the U.S. Figure Skating Championships in Wichita, Kansas,” the organization said in a statement to CNN.

“We are devastated by this unspeakable tragedy and hold the victims’ families closely in our hearts. We will continue to monitor the situation and will release more information as it becomes available.”

Two people on board the flight have been named as 1994 World Figure Skating Championship pairs winners Vadim Naumov and Evgenia Shishkova.

Restricted airspace 

Reagan National Airport, one of the busiest airports in the United States as it combines both military and commercial operations, will be closed until at least 11 a.m. ET Thursday, officials say.

There is no impact to the Washington area’s other airport, Dulles International Airport.

Landing at Reagan is known to be a complex process for pilots. The airport sits across an interstate from the Pentagon and across the Potomac River from Washington, DC, which has tightly-restricted airspace.

An air traffic control audio recording, captured moments before the crash, seems to indicate that the helicopter was aware of another nearby aircraft. It is unclear, however, how the two collided mid-air. 

Taking to social media early Thursday, U.S. President Donald Trump said the collision was "a bad situation that looks like it should have been prevented.”

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