An American Airlines jet with 60 passengers and four crew members aboard collided Wednesday with an Army helicopter while landing at Ronald Reagan National Airport near Washington, D.C., prompting a large search-and-rescue operation in the nearby Potomac River.
At least 28 bodies were pulled from the icy waters of the Potomac, officials said.
Crews were still searching for other casualties but did not believe there were any survivors, which would make it the deadliest U.S. air crash in nearly 24 years.
The body of the plane was found upside down in three sections in waist-deep water. The wreckage of the helicopter was also found. Three soldiers were on board.
Here鈥檚 the latest:
President Trump sends message of condolence
President Donald Trump has sent a message of condolence to those affected by the deadly collision at a D.C.-area airport.
鈥淚 have been fully briefed on the terrible accident which just took place at Reagan National Airport. May God Bless their souls,鈥� he said on Truth Social.
鈥淭hank you for the incredible work being done by our first responders. I am monitoring the situation and will provide more details as they arise.鈥�
Six killed from Boston-area figure skating club
Two young figure skaters, two of their parents and two highly-regarded Russian figure skating coaches were among those killed after an American Airlines flight and an Army helicopter collided Wednesday night and crashed into the frigid waters of the Potomac River.
鈥淭his will have long reaching impacts for our community,鈥� said Doug Zeghibe, chief executive at the Skating Club of Boston, said during a news conference where he was visibly emotional.
Two of those killed were Evgenia Shishkova and Vadim Naumov, who were well-known Russian skaters but have been coaching at the Skating Club of Boston since 2017.
U.S. Figure Skating previously confirmed that several skaters, coaches and family members were on the commercial flight after attending a development camp that followed the national championships, which wrapped up Sunday in Wichita, Kansas.
Russian figure skaters are among the victims
Two Russian figure skating coaches whose son recently finished fourth at the U.S. Figure Skating Championships were among those feared dead after an American Airlines and an Army helicopter collided crashed into the frigid waters of the Potomac River.
U.S. Figure Skating confirmed that several skaters, coaches and family members were on the commercial flight after attending a development camp that followed the national championships that ended Sunday in Wichita, Kansas.
Two of those killed were Evgenia Shishkova and Vadim Naumov, who were well-known Russian skaters but have been coaching at the Skating Club of Boston since 2017.
Officials say they do not believe anyone survived in the Wednesday crash. The American Airlines jet had 60 passengers and four crew members. Three soldiers were aboard the helicopter.
FAA joins NTSB in investigation of midair collision
Investigators from the Federal Aviation Administration will join the NTSB-led investigation of Wednesday night鈥檚 midair collision between an American Airlines passenger jet and a military helicopter near Reagan Washington National Airport.
The NTSB is leading the investigation.
Airport to reopen at 11 a.m. after deadly crash
Located along the Potomac River, just southwest of Washington, D.C., the Ronald Reagan National Airport is a popular choice because it鈥檚 much closer to the U.S. capital than the larger Dulles International Airport.
All takeoffs and landings from Reagan Airport were halted following the crash. It will reopen at 11 a.m. Thursday, the Federal Aviation Administration announced.
Fire chief confident that remains of victims will be recovered
Washington Fire Chief John Donnelly says he鈥檚 confident that the remains of those killed in the crash will be recovered, but it may take some time. At least 28 bodies have been recovered.
Officials said flight conditions were clear as the jet coming from Wichita, Kansas was making a routine landing when the helicopter flew into its path. Three soldiers were on board the helicopter during a training flight, an Army official said.
American Airlines has sent up centers in Washington and Wichita, Kansas, for people searching for information about family members and families.
Duffy says accident was 鈥渁bsolutely鈥� preventable
Asked about President Donald Trump suggesting in an overnight social media post that the collision could have been prevented, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said, 鈥淒o I think this was preventable? Absolutely.
Duffy also said passengers should be 鈥渁ssured鈥� that flying is safe.
鈥淚 would just say that everyone who flies in American skies expects that we fly safely. That when you depart an airport, you get to your destination. That didn鈥檛 happen last night and I know that President Trump, his administration, the FAA, the DOT, we will not rest until we have answers for the families and for the flying public. You should be assured that when you fly, you鈥檙e safe.鈥�
Duffy says US has 鈥渟afest airspace in the world鈥�
鈥淲e have early indicators of what happened here and I will tell you with complete confidence we have the safest airspace in the world,鈥� Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said.
Duffy said that, prior to the collision, the plane and helicopter flight paths 鈥渨ere not unusual for what happens in the DC airspace鈥�
鈥淓verything was standard in the lead up to the crash. Obviously there was something that happened here,鈥� Duffy said.
27 people traveling on American Airlines jet confirmed dead
First responders have recovered the bodies of 27 passengers from the American Airlines jet that collided with the helicopter, officials say.
The body of the plane was found upside down in three sections in waist-deep water. The wreckage of the helicopter was also found.
Officials said they were still searching for other casualties but did not believe there were any other survivors, which would make it the deadliest U.S. air crash in nearly 24 years.
Rescuers now working to recover the dead
Michael Waltz, President Donald Trump鈥檚 national security advisor, said on Fox News Channel, that at 鈥渁bout 4 a.m., we transitioned from response to recovery.鈥�
Asked if that was everyone aboard, Waltz said, 鈥淭hat鈥檚 what it鈥檚 looking like鈥�
Waltz鈥檚 comments That suggests first responders are now working to recover the dead from the crash.
Families anxious for news for those on the AA flight
Hamaad Raza is waiting for news from authorities about the fate of his wife, who he said was among 60 passengers on the American Airlines flight from Wichita.
Raza said he was waiting for the plane when his wife texted that her flight was 20 minutes from landing.
When his messages failed to be delivered he became concerned.
鈥淭hat鈥檚 when I realized something might be up,鈥� Raza told WUSA-TV.
His 26-year-old wife, who he didn鈥檛 name, had flown to Wichita, Kansas, for work.
鈥淚鈥檓 just praying that somebody鈥檚 pulling her out of the river as we speak,鈥� Raza said. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 all I can pray for.鈥�
Kremlin confirms former champion Russian skaters were onboard
The Kremlin has confirmed that Russian figure skaters, as well as other Russian nationals, were on the American Airlines plane that crashed into the Potomac River near Washington, DC.
Spokesman Dmitry Peskov confirmed to reporters Thursday that Russian figure skaters Evgenia Shishkova and Vadim Naumov, who won the pairs title at the 1994 world championships and competed at the Winter Olympics twice, were aboard the plane.
鈥淯nfortunately, we see that this sad information is being confirmed. There were other fellow citizens there. Bad news today from Washington. We are sorry and send condolences to the families and friends who lost those of our fellow citizens who died in the plane crash,鈥� he said.
He did not give details on how many fatalities there were.
Shishkova and Naumov are listed as professional pairs coaches on the website of the Skating Club of Boston. Their son, Maxim Naumov, is a competitive figure skater for the U.S.
Rescuers search in near freezing river water for survivors
Hundreds of rescuers were searching the frigid waters of the Potomac River for any survivors of the plane crash.
Images showed boats around a partly submerged wing and what appeared to be the mangled wreckage of the plane鈥檚 fuselage.
Helicopters flew overhead with powerful search lights scanning the murky waters, while emergency vehicles lit up the banks of the Potomac in a long line of blinking red lights.
The water temperature was just above freezing.
Global skating community 鈥榙eeply shocked and heartbroken鈥�
The international governing body for figure skating said the global skating community was 鈥渄eeply shocked鈥� and heartbroken to learn that figure skaters and those close to them were onboard the flight that collided with a military helicopter.
鈥淥ur thoughts are with everyone affected by this tragedy. Figure skating is more than a sport 鈥� it鈥檚 a close-knit family 鈥� and we stand together,鈥� the International Skating Union said in a statement.
Group of figure skaters and coaches were on the jet
Passengers on the jet included a group of figure skaters, their coaches and family members who were returning from a development camp held after the national U.S. Figure Skating Championships in Wichita, U.S. Figure Skating said in a statement.
The organization confirmed that 鈥渟everal members of the skating community鈥� were on the flight. It did not provide more details.
鈥淲e are devastated by this unspeakable tragedy and hold the victims鈥� families closely in our hearts,鈥� the organization said. 鈥淲e will continue to monitor the situation and will release more information as it becomes available.鈥�
鈥榃e don鈥檛 know yet,鈥� fire chief says of possible survivors
Officials offered few details on the status of the victims as they concluded their early-morning press briefing Thursday.
鈥淚 can鈥檛 say anything about the rescue operation right now,鈥� said Washington Mayor Muriel Bowser, as reporters continue to press for updates on the passengers.
She also declined to comment on the condition of aircraft, which remains submerged in the Potomac River.
Asked if there are any survivors, Fire and EMS Chief John A. Donnelly, responded: 鈥淲e don鈥檛 know yet. But we鈥檙e working.鈥�
Crews in plane crash response face 鈥榬ough鈥� conditions
Officials who held a press conference at Reagan National Airport did not announce any deaths, but they all had a somber tone.
Sen. Roger Marshall of Kansas said 鈥渨hen one person dies it鈥檚 a tragedy, but when many, many, many people die it鈥檚 an unbearable sorrow.鈥�
Washington Mayor Muriel Bowser would not say whether any bodies were recovered from the crash.
There are currently about 300 responders working on the rescue operation
Washington Fire and EMS Chief John A. Donnelly said at the early Thurday news conference thatconditions are 鈥渆xtremely rough for responders,鈥� with cold weather and intense wind.
The Potomac River is about 8 feet deep where the aircraft crashed after their collision.
鈥淭he water is dark. It is murky,鈥� Connelly said.
Trump says collision 鈥榣ooks like it should have been prevented鈥�
In a post on Truth Social, Trump questioned the tactics of the military helicopter and the air traffic controllers 鈥� both agencies that report to him as the president.
Writing that the 鈥渁irplane was on a perfect and routine line of approach for an extended period of time鈥� on a 鈥淐LEAR NIGHT,鈥� Trump questioned, 鈥渨hy didn鈥檛 the helicopter go up or down or turn,鈥� and 鈥渨hy didn鈥檛 the control tower tell the helicopter what to do instead of asking if they saw the plane.鈥�
鈥淲hat a terrible night this has been. God Bless you all!鈥� he added in a subsequent post.
AP source: Multiple people killed in midair collision
There were multiple fatalities after the midair collision, a person familiar with the matter told The Associated Press. The person was not authorized to publicly discuss details of the investigation and spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity.
Authorities are still conducting a search-and-rescue operation in an attempt to find survivors in the water and around the crash site.
-Mike Balsamo
Helicopter was on training flight
The U.S. Army said the helicopter that collided with a passenger jet was a UH-60 Blackhawk based at Fort Belvoir in Virginia. A crew of three soldiers were onboard the helicopter, an Army official said. The helicopter was on a training flight.
Military aircraft frequently conduct training flights in and around the congested and heavily-restricted airspace around the nation鈥檚 capital for familiarization and continuity of government planning.
鈥楾here was a lot of sadness鈥� in terminal after passenger jet crash
Erie County Executive Mark Poloncarz was waiting to catch his flight back to Buffalo, New York, when he saw through the terminal window some emergency vehicles moving out below.
鈥淚t didn鈥檛 seem anything too strange at that point,鈥� Poloncarz said. 鈥淎nd then about a minute or so after that, there was an announcement of a full-ground stop, that there would be no flights landing and no flights taking off. And then we started to see a lot of emergency vehicles heading towards the river.鈥�
Poloncarz and others soon saw reports on social media of a plane crash, while rumors began to swirl.
鈥淲hen flights get delayed, people get aggravated and upset. But there was no one getting aggravated or upset because I think we all realized pretty quickly the magnitude of what occurred. The terminal grew pretty quiet. There was a lot of sadness.鈥�
Last fatal U.S. commercial airline crash was in 2009
The last fatal crash involving a U.S. commercial airline occurred in 2009 in New York, according to the National Transportation Safety Board.
Everyone aboard the Bombardier DHC-8 propeller plane was killed, including 45 passengers, 2 pilots and 2 flight attendants. Another person on the ground also died, bringing the total death toll to 50. An investigation determined that the captain accidentally caused the plane to stall as it approached the airport in Buffalo.
Audio shows no response from helicopter after air traffic control warning
Less than 30 seconds before the crash, an air traffic controller asks the helicopter if it has the arriving plane in sight: 鈥淧AT25, do you have the CRJ in sight?鈥�
The controller makes another radio call to PAT25 moments later: 鈥淧AT 25 pass behind the CRJ.鈥�
The two aircraft collide seconds later.
The audio from flight tracking sites doesn鈥檛 record any response from the helicopter, if any, to the warnings from air traffic control.
The plane鈥檚 radio transponder stopped transmitting about 2,400 feet (730 meters) short of the runway, roughly over the middle of the river.
JUST IN: 60 passengers and 4 crew were aboard passenger jet that collided with helicopter, American Airlines says
Trump on aircraft accident: 鈥楳ay God Bless their souls鈥�
President Donald Trump says he鈥檚 been briefed on the 鈥榯errible accident鈥� at Reagan National Airport.
In a statement late Wednesday, Trump thanked first responders for their 鈥渋ncredible work,鈥� noting that he was 鈥渕onitoring the situation and will provide more details as they arise.鈥�
鈥淢ay God Bless their souls,鈥� he added
Noem says all available Coast Guard resources being deployed
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said she would be deploying all available resources from the U.S. Coast Guard for search and rescue efforts.
鈥淲e are actively monitoring the situation & stand ready to support local responders,鈥� Noem said in a post on X.
Reagan Washington National a popular airport
Reagan Washington National is located along the Potomac River, just southwest of the city. It鈥檚 a popular choice because it鈥檚 much closer than the larger Dulles International Airport, which is deeper in Virginia.
Depending on the runway being used, flights into Reagan can offer passengers spectacular views of landmarks like the Washington Monument, the Lincoln Memorial, the National Mall and the U.S. Capitol. It鈥檚 a postcard-worthy welcome for tourists visiting the city.
Details on the passenger jet
American Airlines flight 5342 was inbound to Reagan National at an altitude of about 400 feet and a speed of about 140 miles per hour when it suffered a rapid loss of altitude over the Potomac River, according to data from its radio transponder.
The Canadian-made Bombardier CRJ-701 twin-engine jet was manufactured in 2004 and can be configured to carry up to 70 passengers.
Trump is briefed on the crash
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt says President Donald Trump has been briefed on the crash.
鈥楾ower, did you see
迟丑补迟?鈥�
In audio from the air traffic control tower around the time of the crash, a controller is heard asking the helicopter, 鈥淧AT25 do you have the CRJ in sight,鈥� in reference to the passenger aircraft.
鈥淭ower, did you see that?鈥� another pilot is heard calling seconds after the apparent collision.鈥�
The tower immediately began diverting other aircraft from Reagan.
JUST IN: Helicopter that collided with passenger jet was flown by Army, AP source says
The Associated Press
