A number of U.S. agencies are investigating the cause of the mid-air collision between an American Airlines passenger plane and a U.S. Army helicopter late Wednesday near Washington, D.C.
There were no survivors among the 60 passengers and four crew members on the American Airlines flight, operated by its affiliate PSA Airlines, nor among the three U.S. military personnel aboard the Black Hawk UH-60 helicopter, federal and local officials reported on Thursday.
Both aircraft crashed into the Potomac River near Reagan National Airport, just outside Washington, D.C., in Arlington, Virginia.
Search operations are ongoing.
This is the deadliest air accident in the U.S. since 2001.
At least 28 bodies were recovered from the cold waters of the Potomac River after the helicopter apparently flew into the path of the airplane late Wednesday, as the plane was making its approach to Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, officials said.
The helicopter carried three U.S. military members.
“We don’t believe there are any survivors,” said John Donnelly, chief of the Fire Department. “We’ve now transitioned from a rescue operation to a recovery operation,” he added.
U.S. Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy, who joined President Donald Trump for a press conference at the White House regarding the collision, stated that both the airplane and the helicopter were on “scheduled flights” before the collision occurred.
During the press conference, President Trump called for a moment of silence for the victims and stated that all available local, state, and federal resources had been mobilized for the search operation.
Trump said the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) was leading the investigation into the cause of the crash, with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and a U.S. military aviation investigation unit also involved.
He also suggested that previous administrations, under Presidents Barack Obama and Joe Biden, had lowered the standards for hiring air traffic controllers, citing federal initiatives for diversity, equality, and inclusion. He said he had reversed those initiatives through executive orders he signed last week.
Regarding air traffic controllers, Trump stated, “We need the best, the smartest, and the sharpest. We need people who are psychologically superior, and that’s what we’re going to have.”
Trump mentioned the possibility that the error could have been made by the helicopter crew, but emphasized that the investigation would reveal the cause. When asked how he reached the conclusion that diversity initiatives had contributed to the crash, he responded, “Because I have sound judgment based on a simple perception of the situation.”
Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth also spoke at the press conference. He said the military helicopter was conducting its annual training flight and that “tragically, there was a mistake. There’s an issue with altitude, and we’ve started an investigation,” he stated.
The two aircraft collided as the passenger plane was approaching the runway and crashed into the Potomac River near the airport.
Secretary of Transportation Duffy said the airplane was destroyed in three pieces and had fallen into the cold waters of the river.
Earlier, during another press conference, Washington’s fire and emergency services chief, John Donnelly, said that around 300 emergency responders from local, state, and federal agencies were on site for the search operation, working under extremely challenging conditions with strong winds and icy waters, VOA reported.
There is still no information on the cause of the collision, but officials stated that flying conditions were clear when the plane, carrying American and Russian skaters, arrived from Wichita, Kansas.
“We don’t know why the military aircraft entered the course of the plane,” said Robert Isom, the executive director of American Airlines.
Footage recorded by cameras at the “Kennedy” center in Washington captured an explosion in the air along the Potomac River around 9:47 p.m. local time, with the plane on fire as it fell rapidly. Data from the plane shows it was at an altitude of around 120 meters at the time of the collision.
Less than 30 seconds before the collision, air traffic controllers asked the helicopter if it saw the incoming plane. “PAT-25, do you see CRJ?” the controller is heard saying, and a few moments later, another call is made: “PAT-25, pass behind the CRJ,” apparently instructing the helicopter to wait for the Bombardier CRJ-701 to pass. No response was received. A few seconds later, the collision occurred.
Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy, who took office earlier this week, was asked if he could reassure Americans that the United States has the safest airspace in the world.
“The answer to that is yes, absolutely,” he said.
