Despite local media reports initially claiming four people had been found alive, DC’s fire chief has told the press: “We don’t know if there are survivors, but we are working on it.”
Thursday 30 January 2025 10:53, UK
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A “highly complex” search and rescue operation is under way after a passenger plane collided with a military helicopter in Washington DC.
The American Airlines flight was preparing to land at the Reagan Washington National Airport when it collided mid-air with the military aircraft and split into two pieces.
Washington plane crash latest: Follow updates as rescue continues
Both aircraft then crashed into the Potomac River and 300 responders are currently working on the scene in “extremely tough” conditions, officials have said.
Despite local media reports claiming four people have been found alive, DC fire chief John Donnelly said at a press conference: “We don’t know if there are survivors, but we are working on it.”
This is what we know so far.
What aircraft were involved?
The crash involved a PSA Airlines Bombardier CRJ701 twin-engine jet regional jet and a Sikorsky H-60 helicopter, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has confirmed.
The jet was American Eagle flight 5342, operated by PSA, and was travelling from Wichita in Kansas to Reagan Washington National Airport. American Eagle is a regional brand for American Airlines.
The other aircraft was a US Army helicopter – a UH-60 Black Hawk based at Fort Belvoir in Virginia – which was on a training flight.
What we know about the crash itself
A few minutes before it was scheduled to land, the American Eagle flight was given permission to approach runway 33. Air traffic controllers checked with the helicopter pilot that they had the arriving plane in sight.
Seconds later, the airliner was on approach to runway 33 and the US Army helicopter when the collision happened.
CTV footage shows a flash of light in the sky at 8.47pm local time (1.47am UK time) appearing to show the moment the aircraft collided and burst into flames.
Flight tracking information, based on data transmitted by the Bombardier plane’s radio transponder, reveals it was at an altitude of about 400ft and a speed of about 140mph when it suffered a rapid loss of altitude over the Potomac River.
The plane broke into two pieces and is in about 7ft of water in the river, sources told the local NBC News station in Washington DC. The helicopter is upside down in the water.
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Air traffic audio recorded in the immediate aftermath of the crash has been released. A controller says: “Um, I just saw a fireball and then it was just gone. I haven’t seen anything since they hit the river. But it was a CRJ [the type of plane that crashed] and a helicopter that hit, I would say a half-mile off the approach.”
Within minutes, the controllers began redirecting other planes in the region.
Timeline shows how the crash unfolded
Who was on board the plane and helicopter?
There were 60 passengers and four crew members on board the jetliner, and three soldiers on the military aircraft.
US Figure Skating, the national governing body for the sport in the US, said in a statement that several members of its skating community were on the passenger plane.
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It said the athletes and coaches were returning home from the national development camp in Kansas.
“We are devastated by this unspeakable tragedy and hold the victims’ families closely in our hearts,” the statement said.
“We will continue to monitor the situation and will release more information as it becomes available.”
Championship figure skaters Evgenia Shishkova and Vadim Naumov have been named by Russian news agency TASS as two people who were on the plane.
The married couple from Russia won the world championship in pairs figure skating in 1994.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the reported deaths of Naumov and Shishkova were being confirmed.
A number of skaters have declared themselves safe amid speculation they were also on board the plane.
You can read more about the passengers and the skaters who have commented here.
Has anyone been found?
More than 30 bodies have been recovered from the Potomac River, two sources familiar with the rescue operation have told NBC Washington, an affiliate of Sky News’ US partner network NBC News.
The update came after sources earlier told NBC News the number of bodies found was “approaching 20”.
CBS News cited a police official as saying no survivors had been found yet.
Earlier local media reports claimed four people had been found alive, but DC fire chief John Donnelly said at a press conference: “We don’t know if there are survivors, but we are working on it.”
Officials have not provided any further information yet.
‘Highly complex’ rescue operation under way
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About 300 responders, inflatable boats and multiple helicopters are being used as part of the search and rescue operation which began about 10 minutes after the collision.
Mr Donnelly said the operation is “highly complex” due to “extremely rough conditions”.
He said hypothermia is a concern for any possible survivors and first responders as it is currently cold and windy.
He added: “There is wind. There are pieces of ice in the water. And because there is not a lot of light, you are out there searching every square inch of space.
“These are very tough conditions to dive in.”
Asked if there are any survivors, the fire chief said he didn’t know.
“We are still out there working and we’re going to continue that throughout the night,” he added.
As rescue efforts continue, a “recovery centre” has been set up at the DC Fire helipad to receive remains from the crash, NBC Washington has reported.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) announced the airport would be closed until at least 4pm UK time.
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What has Donald Trump said?
The US president said in a statement late on Wednesday he was monitoring the situation after being briefed on what he described as a “terrible accident”.
He thanked first responders for their “incredible work”, and said he would “provide more details as they arise”.
Referencing those involved in the incident, he added: “May God Bless their souls.”
Vice president JD Vance also encouraged followers on social media to “say a prayer for everyone involved”.
On his social media platform Truth Social, Mr Trump wrote the plane was on a “perfect and routine line of approach to the airport”, while the helicopter was going “straight at the airplane for an extended period of time”.
“It is a CLEAR NIGHT, the lights on the plane were blazing, why didn’t the helicopter go up or down, or turn,” he added.
“Why didn’t the control tower tell the helicopter what to do instead of asking if they saw the plane?”
He appeared to be referencing reports that said less than 30 seconds before the collision, air traffic controllers asked the helicopter operators if they could see the plane.
“This is a bad situation that looks like it should have been prevented,” Mr Trump concluded.
What have other officials said?
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Senator Roger Marshall of Kansas, where the plane’s journey originated, told a news conference this morning: “It’s really hard when you lose probably over 60 Kansans simultaneously.
“When one person dies, it’s a tragedy, but when many, many, many people die, it’s an unbearable sorrow.
“It’s a heartbreak beyond measure.”
Pete Hegseth, who was sworn in as defence secretary only days ago, said the US army and the defence department had begun an investigation into the crash “immediately”.
“Absolutely tragic. Search and rescue efforts still ongoing. Prayers for all impacted souls and their families,” he posted on X.
In a news conference early this morning, Washington DC Mayor Muriel Bowser said: “Certainly I speak for the people of Washington, 700,000 of us, who are extremely sorry for the families who are experiencing loss tonight.”
In a later tweet on X, she said she was sending “love and prayers” to people connected to those on board, adding officials would give their next briefing at 12.30pm UK time.
UK prime minister Sir Keir Starmer said in a statement on X: “I am deeply shocked by the tragic scenes coming out of Washington DC.
“My thoughts are with all those on board and their families desperately waiting for news.
“I pay tribute to the emergency services for their dedicated work in such challenging conditions and I send the UK’s condolences to the United States at this time.”
‘Cause looks like human error’ – helicopter pilot
Former helicopter pilot Paul Beaver told Sky News’ chief presenter Kay Burley it was difficult to say if the collision could have been avoided, but it was clear it was a “terrible accident”.
“This is one of the things to me that looks like human error,” he told her on Sky News Breakfast this morning.
“Air traffic control can only advise, and it is the pilot of the aircraft who takes personal responsibility,” he added.
He explained that the plane was on its final approach to a runway, so it was committed to the route.
It had right of way under the rules of the air, he explained, adding the helicopter should have taken “avoiding action”.
Mr Beaver, who has previously flown over the Potomac River, said it is a “difficult airspace”.
“This is very, very busy and occasionally, sadly, there are mid-air collisions,” he added.
Because of the short length of runways at Reagan National, more than 90% of flights use its main runway, making it the busiest in the US, with over 800 daily takeoffs and landings.
There have been several near-miss incidents at the airport in the past, including two last year.
There was a close call in April between a Southwest and JetBlue aircraft, then the following month between an American Airlines jet and a small plane.
Tim Atkinson, who used to be a senior inspector for the UK Airline Accident Investigation Branch, told Burley he would be “very surprised” if anyone survived the crash.
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He said footage showing the moment of the collision showed “a lot of energy was expended”, adding: “And, unfortunately, the first element required for survival is that the actual ultimate forces experienced by those on board an aircraft or in a vehicle have to be within human tolerance.
“And my suspicion is very strongly that, in the impact with the water, the forces there were simply beyond human tolerance.”
He added: “For me, I’m afraid it’s a recovery operation that’s going on in that water.”
Responders on the scene have been referring to their efforts as a rescue operation.