Washington: Recovery teams have retrieved the remains of 27 passengers from an American Airlines flight and one from a US Army Black Hawk helicopter following a tragic mid-air collision, authorities confirmed Thursday morning. Rescue officials have stated they do not expect any survivors from the accident.
The American Eagle Flight 5342, which was en route from Wichita, Kansas, had 60 passengers and four crew members aboard. The Army helicopter, a UH-60 Black Hawk, was carrying three service members at the time of the crash.
“At this time, we do not believe there are any survivors from this tragic event,” said John Donnelly, Fire Chief of Washington D.C., during a press briefing on Thursday. He added that 27 bodies have been recovered from the wreckage of the plane, with one body found from the helicopter. The collision occurred while the plane was approaching its destination, Reagan National Airport in Washington D.C. The two aircraft fell into the Potomac River, which runs adjacent to the airport. The plane was broken into several pieces, while the helicopter was discovered overturned in the water.
President Donald Trump expressed his condolences, stating, "I have been fully briefed on the horrific accident near Reagan National Airport. My thoughts are with all those affected, and I thank the first responders for their incredible efforts. May God bless their souls. I will continue to monitor the situation and provide updates as more information becomes available."
Rescue efforts continued through the night, with helicopters illuminating the river while boats and search teams scoured the water for any additional victims. The collision occurred at approximately 8:47 PM on Wednesday.
The helicopter involved in the crash was part of Bravo Company from the 12th Aviation Battalion based at Fort Belvoir, Virginia, and was on a routine training flight at the time of the accident.
Reports also confirmed that two former Russian figure skaters were among the passengers on the American Airlines flight. Evgenia Shishkova and Vadim Naumov, who won gold at the 1994 Figure Skating World Championships, were both onboard. Russian officials have not named others aboard the flight, though spokesperson Dmitri Peskov confirmed that additional Russian nationals were on the plane. The couple, who relocated to the U.S. in 1998, had been coaching aspiring ice skaters in the United States.