Thursday, January 30, 2025

All 67 aboard Plane, Army Copter Killed in Midair Collision in D.C.

Oficials said today (Jan30, 2025) that 67 people were killed in the collision of a passenger plane and an Army helicopter near Ronald Reagan National Airport, triggering a massive recovery effort as authorities search for bodies in the Potomac River, the USA Today website reports. 


"Sadly, there are no survivors," President Donald Trump said at the White House today. "This was a dark and excruciating night in our nation's capital and in our nation's history." Trump also said the helicopter crew "should've seen where they were going." 


The crash occurred just before  9 p.m. last night when American Airlines Flight 5342 from Wichita, Kansas, attempted to land and collided in midair with the Black Hawk helicopter. The passenger plane, with 64 people aboard, and the helicopter , carrying three soldiers, fell into the Potomac River. 


Early this morning, John Donnelly, the chief of Washington's fire department, said 28 bodies were pulled from the icy water. He added that authorities were transitioning from a rescue mission to a recovery operation. 


Offficials did not say what caused the collision, but described both crews as "experienced" and noted that the helicopter and the plane were following standard flight patterns."


"Everything was standard in the lead--up to the crash," Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy said.   "Now, obviously something happened here, but you'll get more information and more details as this investigation moves forward. We'll learn what happened."


Reagan National Airport, located in Arlington, Virginia, resumed flights at 11 a.m. today, officials said. 


Wichita Mayor Lily Wu called yesterday's crash a "terrible tragedy" and said "it will unite those in Washington , D.C. and Wichita, Kansas, forever." 


Wu said officials will hold a public prayer vigil at city hall this afternoon and urged residents to join them.

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