A catastrophic midair collision between an American Airlines aircraft carrying 64 people and a military helicopter on Wednesday night resulted in a devastating crash into the Potomac River, CBS News reported.
The incident involved a PSA Airlines Bombardier CRJ700 regional jet and a Sikorsky H-60 Black Hawk helicopter, both of which went down while attempting to land at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport. The crash claimed at least 18 lives, with no survivors found so far, as emergency responders continued search efforts through the night.
American Eagle Flight 5342 had departed from Wichita, Kansas, bound for Washington, DC. The jet, carrying 60 passengers and four crew members, collided with the Black Hawk helicopter, which had three soldiers on board. According to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), the collision occurred around 9 p.m. local time as both aircraft were approaching Runway 33. In response, all flights were grounded immediately, and emergency teams were deployed to assist with search and rescue operations.
A police official at the scene told CBS News that three debris fields were visible in the river, and by 11:30 p.m. ET, at least 18 bodies had been recovered.
“No survivors had been found so far,” the police official said.
According to the FAA, the crash involved a Bombardier CRJ700 regional jet, operated by American Airlines, and a Sikorsky H-60 helicopter.
A statement issued by American Airlines confirming the incident, said it was “aware of reports that American Eagle flight 5342, operated by PSA, with service from Wichita, Kansas (ICT) to Washington Reagan National Airport (DCA) has been involved in an incident.”
The airline extended its condolences to those impacted by the crash and confirmed its cooperation with authorities.
