An American Airlines jet carrying 64 people crashed into an Army helicopter, resulting in a deadly accident.
According to CNN, the incident happened near Washington as the plane attempted to land at the Ronald Raegan National Airport on Wednesday night (Jan. 29). The Federal Aviation Administration told the outlet that the midair wreck happened before 9 p.m. EST, with the jet in the sky after departing from Wichita, Kansas.
ESPN reported that the American Airlines plane had been carrying the United States figure skating team along with their family and friends. According to the Associated Press, three Army men were aboard the helicopter at the time of the crash.
Multiple fatalities have been reported as a result of the crash, with no survivors expected, a source close to the tragedy told the outlet. First responders worked overnight in a search and rescue mission in chilly conditions in the Potomac River, with no word of what exactly caused the collision.
“U.S. Figure Skating can confirm that several members of our skating community were sadly aboard American Airlines Flight 5342, which collided with a helicopter yesterday evening in Washington, D.C.,” U.S. Figure Skating said in an official statement. “We are devastated by this unspeakable tragedy and hold the victims’ families closely in our hearts.”
Various images have been released, showing the accident’s aftermath, with debris floating along the Potomac and pieces of what appears to be the jet’s wing and the remaining fuselage.
District of Columbia Mayor Muriel Bowser offered a statement regarding the collision, stating that first responders are going to to recover our fellow citizens.” However, Bowser didn’t disclose how many bodies had been recovered at the time of her press conference. “I do want to thank the first responders…who ran towards danger, went into a very frigid river, and have worked throughout the night.”
Sen. Roger Marshall of Kansas also offered his condolences to those impacted, stating that “one person dies, it’s a tragedy, but when many, many, many people die, it’s an unbearable sorrow.”
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