This is truly sad. An American Airlines plane collided with a Black Hawk Helicopter in midair.
According to reports, the plane was carrying 64 people when it crashed into the helicopter while approaching the runway at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport. The accident happened just before 9 pm.
There were 60 passengers and four crew members on the Bombardier CRJ-70 plane, while the helicopter was carrying three soldiers. “I’d like to express our deep sorrow about these events,” CEO Robert Isom said in a video message.
“This is a difficult day for all of us at American Airlines. And our efforts now are focused entirely on the needs of our passengers, crew members, partners, first responders, along with their families and loved ones.”
The plane had left from Wichita, Kansas, and was set to land on Runway 33 at Reagan Airport. It was later revealed that some members of the U.S. Figure Skating team were also on the flight. “We are devastated by this unspeakable tragedy and hold the victims’ families closely in our hearts,” the organization said in a statement. “We will release more information as it becomes available.”
Footage of the crash shows the moments when the aircraft collided with one another creating a huge explosion. First responders rushed to the scene and began looking for survivors in the Potomac River.
“The conditions out there are extremely rough for the responders,” DC Fire and EMS Chief John Donnelly said. “The water that we’re operating in is about 8 feet deep. There is wind. There are pieces of ice out there. So it’s just dangerous and hard to work in.”
He added, “And because there’s not a lot of lights, you’re out there searching every square inch of space to see if you can find anybody. Divers are doing the same thing in the water. The water is dark. It is murky. And that is a very tough condition for them to dive in.”
At the moment, it has been reported that there are no survivors. We will continue to keep you posted when new updates are released.