A tragic midair collision between a US Army helicopter and an American Airlines passenger plane resulted in the deaths of all 67 individuals on both aircraft. The incident, which took place on Wednesday night near Washington, DC, is being called the deadliest aviation disaster in the United States in over 20 years. The crash, which occurred as the American Airlines flight was preparing to land at Ronald Reagan National Airport, involved the helicopter flying into the jet’s path. At least 28 bodies have been recovered from the frigid waters of the Potomac River where the helicopter crashed. The American Airlines jet, which was arriving from Wichita, Kansas, had 60 passengers and four crew members on board, while the helicopter had three soldiers.
Preliminary investigations suggest that air traffic control staffing during the collision was "not normal." The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) reported that the controller at Reagan National was tasked with responsibilities typically assigned to two people. "The position configuration was not standard for the time of day and traffic volume," according to the FAA report.
Following the crash, President Donald Trump confirmed that no one survived, and in a White House briefing, he expressed the nation’s sorrow, calling it an "hour of anguish." John Donnelly, Fire Chief for Washington, DC, stated that the operation had shifted from rescue to recovery. Wreckage from both the plane and the helicopter was found in the Potomac River, with the plane discovered upside down and in multiple pieces. Rescue teams continued their search as far south as the Woodrow Wilson Bridge, nearly five kilometers away from the airport.
The cause of the crash is still under investigation, though FAA officials indicated that the weather was clear at the time of the collision. American Airlines CEO Robert Isom confirmed that the plane, which was on its final approach, collided with the military Black Hawk helicopter during an otherwise routine landing attempt. Jonathan Koziol, Chief of Staff for Army Aviation, stated that the helicopter