Officials did not provide a death toll from Wednesday night’s collision but U.S. Senator Roger Marshall of Kansas, where the flight originated, suggested most if not all those on board had been killed.
“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.”
American Airlines confirmed 60 passengers and four crew members were aboard the jet. The helicopter, on a training flight, was carrying three soldiers, a U.S. official said.
CBS News, citing a police official, said at least 18 bodies had been recovered. Two sources told Reuters multiple bodies had been pulled from the water.
The Pentagon said it was launching an investigation.
“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,“ Trump wrote.
Air traffic control recordings appear to capture the final attempted communications with the helicopter, call sign PAT25, before it collides with the plane, described as CRJ.
Seconds later, another aircraft calls in to air traffic control, saying, “Tower, did you see that?” - apparently referring to the crash. An air traffic controller then redirects planes heading to runway 33 to go around.
Just after the collision, an air traffic controller was heard saying over the radio, “I just saw a fireball and then it was just gone. I haven’t seen anything since they hit the river.”
Relatives gathered at the airport said they were receiving little official information about the incident. One man wept as he stood on the sidewalk at 3 a.m. outside the airport.
Washington DC fire chief John Donnelly said at least 300 first responders were continuing to work on the “highly complex” rescue operation.
Asked by reporters whether there were any survivors, he responded that “we don’t know yet.”
“At these frigid water temperatures, the human body’s core temperature quickly drops. Exhaustion or unconsciousness can occur in as little as 15 to 30 minutes,“ AccuWeather Senior Director of Forecast Operations Dan DePodwin said.
Airports authority CEO Potter said the airport would remain closed until at least 11 a.m. on Thursday.
The last deadly major crash involving a commercial airliner in the U.S. was in 2009, when all 49 people aboard a Colgan Air flight died when the plane crashed in New York state. One person was also killed on the ground.
PSA was operating Flight 5342 for American Airlines, the FAA said.
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