Plane with 64 aboard collides with military helicopter near Washington airport, 18 bodies found so far
Key updates-
- American Airlines confirms 60 passengers, 4 crew aboard crashed jet
- 18 bodies recovered so far, Reuters reports
- The regional passenger plane was flying from Kansas
- It crashed into Potomac River after the mid-air collision with a military helicopter
- Three soldiers aboard military helicopter
- Trump says briefed on 'terrible' passenger jet crash in Washington
A passenger jet from Kansas crashed into Washington's Potomac River after colliding mid-air with a military helicopter near Reagan National Airport, officials said Wednesday, prompting a major emergency response and grounding all flights.
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World champion Russian figure skaters were aboard crashed US plane, TASS reports
12:30pm
Helicopter, jet involved in crash both 'in the water' of Potomac River: DC mayor
The wrecked fuselages of both the US military helicopter and the commercial jet involved in a collision over the Potomac River are lying in the water, Washington Mayor Muriel Bowser told a press briefing early Thursday.
Search efforts by an estimated 300 responding personnel including divers were impeded by the "very dark, very murky" water at near-frigid temperatures, added Washington Fire Chief John Donnelly.
12:10pm
Jet crash responders face 'extremely rough' conditions on Potomac River: DC fire chief
Responders conducting search and rescue operations were facing "extremely rough" conditions in the Potomac River after a passenger jet and US military helicopter collided midair, an official said early Thursday.
High winds, low night-time visibility, cold weather and murky water were combining to make "a very tough condition to dive in" as roughly 300 emergency responders searched the Potomac for any survivors of the crash, Washington fire chief John Donnelly told reporters at Reagan National Airport.
12:03pm
Kansas Senator Marshall: It is hard when you lose probably 60 Kansans.
11:50am
Crowded airspace
Questions were expected to focus on how a passenger plane with modern collision-avoidance technology and nearby traffic controllers could collide with a military aircraft over the nation's capital.
The airspace around Washington is often crowded, with planes coming in low over the city to land at Reagan airport and helicopters -- military, civilian and carrying senior politicians -- buzzing about both day and night.
The same airport was the scene of a deadly crash in January 1982 when Air Florida flight 90, a Boeing 737, took off but quickly plummeted, hitting the 14th Street bridge and crashing through the ice into the Potomac River. 78 people died.
11:27am
American Airlines CEO expresses 'deep sorrow' at Washington crash
The chief executive of American Airlines expressed "deep sorrow" after one of its aircraft crashed following a collision with a military helicopter over the US capital late Wednesday.
"I'd like to express our deep sorrow about these events," said CEO Robert Isom in a video statement, adding: "This is a difficult day for all of us."
11:20am
Trump says Washington air crash 'should have been prevented'
President Donald Trump on Wednesday said the crash between a US Army helicopter and a passenger jet near Washington "should have been prevented."
"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," Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform, adding: "NOT GOOD!!!"
11:16am
Helicopter that collided with jet was on 'training flight': US military spokesperson
The US Army Black Hawk helicopter involved in Wednesday's crash near Washington was on "a training flight" when it collided midair with a passenger jet, a military spokesman said.
The confirmation by a public affairs official was posted on X by new US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, who himself described the accident as "absolutely tragic" and said search and rescue efforts were "still ongoing."
10:55am
18 bodies recovered after Washington plane crash, CBS News reports
At least 18 bodies have been recovered after a midair collision between a regional passenger jet and a helicopter near Reagan Washington National Airport, CBS News reported on Wednesday, citing a police official.
10:17am
American Airlines confirms 60 passengers, 4 crew aboard crashed jet
"There were 60 passengers and four crew members on board the aircraft. Our concern is for the passengers and crew on board the aircraft. We are in contact with authorities and assisting with emergency response efforts."
10:05am
At least two bodies have been recovered following a collision between a helicopter and a plane near Washington's Ronald Reagan International Airport, NBC affiliate WBAL reported on Wednesday.
10:03am
Dark, near-freezing river
The Federal Aviation Authority ordered the grounding of all planes at Reagan airport, and Washington's police said on X that "multiple agencies" were responding to the crash site in the Potomac.
Police said fireboats had joined the operation on the Potomac River, where any work was complicated by the fact it was dark and close to freezing. Dozens of fire trucks could be seen headed toward the airport.
10:00am
Three soldiers aboard military helicopter in Washington crash: US Army
Three US Army soldiers were aboard the military helicopter which collided with a regional commercial jet Wednesday over the Potomac River in Washington, a US Army official told AFP.
The helicopter, a Black Hawk Sikorsky H-60, collided with a PSA Airlines Bombardier CRJ700 from Wichita, Kansas that US Senator Roger Marshall of Kansas said was carrying "roughly 60 passengers."
09:55am
Trump says briefed on 'terrible' passenger jet crash in Washington
09:53am
Crashed jet in DC had 'roughly 60 passengers' aboard: US Senator
Some 60 passengers are believed to have been on the ill-fated commercial jet that crashed late Wednesday after a midair collision with a military helicopter near Washington's airport, a US senator from Kansas said.
"A plane, traveling to the Nation's capital from Wichita, KS carrying roughly 60 passengers collided with a Military helicopter," Senator Roger Marshall posted on X, describing the situation as "nothing short of a nightmare."
09:18am
President Donald Trump "has been made aware of this situation and tragically it appears that a military helicopter collided with a regional jet," Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said on Fox News.
There was no immediate information about how many people were aboard either aircraft or about casualties.
The Federal Aviation Authority ordered the grounding of all planes at Reagan airport, and Washington's police said on X that "multiple agencies" were responding to the crash site in the Potomac.
Police said fireboats had joined the operation on the chilly Potomac River.
The FAA said a PSA Airlines Bombardier regional jet "collided in midair" with a Sikorsky H-60 helicopter as it approached for landing at Reagan at around 9 pm (0200 GMT). The plane had left from Wichita, Kansas.
With inputs from AFP and Reuters
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