At least 28 bodies were pulled from the icy waters of the Potomac River after an American Airlines jet carrying 60 passengers and four crew members collided with an Army helicopter while landing at Ronald Reagan National Airport near Washington, officials said Thursday.
Photos: Military helicopter, American Airlines flight collide in Washington, DC
Crews 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.
The crash was caught on video, you can see the helicopter collide with the plane. Three soldiers were on the helicopter conducting a training flight while 64 passengers and crew members were on American Airlines Flight 5342, operated by PSA Airlines, CNN reported.
Watch for the latest updates below as they come in:
NTSB provides update
The National Transportation Safety Board held a press briefing Thursday afternoon. Jennifer Homendy, NTSB chairwoman said the entire board is involved in the investigation into the crash.
She said they will only give information when they can give factual information.
The board said they will take time Thursday to brief the families of the victims. He said there are still some families in the process of being notified.
“Our mission is to understand not just what happened but why it happened, and to recommend changes to prevent it from happening again,” NTSB board member Todd Inman said.
A preliminary report on the investigation is expected to be released within 30 days.
Neither the plane’s nor the helicopter’s “black box” have been recovered at this time, Homendy said.
When asked about speculation into the cause of the crash, the board emphasized that is not something they would do or encourage.
“Now, we will not be determining the probable cause of the accident while we are here on scene. Nor will we speculate about what may have caused this accident,” Inman said.
Overall, the board is asking for patience as they continue to investigate.
Trump: “An hour of anguish for our nation”
President Donald Trump started his morning news conference with a moment of silence for those on board the airplane and helicopter. He called the crash “an hour of anguish for our nation and said the NTSB, U.S. military and other federal agencies would do a comprehensive investigation into the crash to “figure out exactly what happened.
Trump took the opportunity to criticize diversity hiring efforts at the FAA, though when pressed about why, he acknowledged that there is no evidence yet that it could be blamed for the collision.
“It just could have been,” he said.
Trump made a point to tell newly sworn-in Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, “It’s not your fault.”
Duffy then took the White House podium and declared, “When Americans take off in airplanes, they should expect to land at their destination.” He added, “We will not accept excuses.”
Officials give update on deadly plane-helicopter collision
D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser briefed the media on Thursday morning, along with local and federal officials and the CEO of American Airlines.
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said that it was a clear night and the plane was on the standard flight pattern as it came into the airport. He said it was not an unusual occurrence that a military aircraft was flying near a passenger aircraft.
First responders have found the fuselage of the American Airlines aircraft. He said it was inverted and in three pieces in waist-deep water.
Duffy said the helicopter wreckage was also found.
>>>See impact caught on video, hear air traffic control (graphic warning)
Chief John Donnelly, DC Fire and EMS said the mission has switched from a rescue to a recovery. They have recovered 27 bodies from the American Airlines flight and one from the helicopter. Donnelly said there were no survivors. Officials from area medical examiner offices are working to identify those killed in the crash.
Robert Isom, CEO of American Airlines, shared a phone number - 800-679-8215- where family members who had people on flight 5342 can call and get the latest information and help from the airline.
The airport remains closed, but airport officials hope to have the airport reopen at 11 a.m. Thursday.
Bowser said the National Transportation Safety Board will be the lead investigators and that agency will provide briefings later today.
Officials said that the wind that was blowing in the area had pushed the debris from the initial crash area toward the Wilson Bridge, so the debris field was spread out in the river.
Former champion Russian skaters were passengers on downed flight
Passengers aboard the American Airlines flight that collided with an Army helicopter and crashed into the frigid waters of the Potomac River included figure skaters returning from the U.S. Figure Skating Championships and two of their Russian coaches.
U.S. Figure Skating said in a statement that several skaters, coaches and their family members were on the commercial flight after attending a development camp that followed the championships that wrapped up Sunday in Wichita, Kansas.
“We are devastated by this unspeakable tragedy and hold the victims’ families closely in our hearts,” U.S. Figure Skating said in a statement.
Two of those coaches were identified by the Kremlin as a Russian couple who were pairs world champions 30 years ago.
The Associated Press contributed to this story.
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