A catastrophic mid-air collision shook the U.S. capital on Wednesday night when an American Airlines passenger plane, operated by PSA Airlines, collided with a military helicopter over the Potomac River, near Ronald Reagan National Airport. Tragically, there were no survivors.
Washington D.C. Fire Chief John Donnelly confirmed that rescue teams have so far recovered 27 bodies from the aircraft and one from the helicopter. “At this point, we do not believe there are any survivors,” Donnelly stated in a press briefing.
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy assured the public that both aircraft were following “standard flight patterns” at the time of impact. “The night was clear, and everything was proceeding as usual in DCA’s airspace,” Duffy said, referring to the national capital airport.
Nevertheless, the images of the Bombardier CRJ-700’s fuselage, broken into three sections and partially submerged, illustrate the magnitude of the disaster. Transponder data shows the plane was flying at 400 feet and traveling at 140 mph when it abruptly lost altitude following the collision with the Sikorsky H-60 Black Hawk helicopter.
Former President Donald Trump responded to the tragedy via his Truth Social platform, questioning why the helicopter failed to alter its course in a “clear night” when the plane was visibly illuminated. “This is a situation that should have been avoided. BAD!” Trump wrote.
Duffy echoed this sentiment. “I agree with what the president said. Based on what we know so far, yes, this could have been avoided,” the Transportation Secretary affirmed.
⚡️ Un avión de pasajeros choca contra un helicóptero en Washington pic.twitter.com/n3YSuWUhcM
— Sepa Más (@Sepa_mass) January 30, 2025
The crash has reignited painful memories of the 1982 Air Florida disaster, in which a plane crashed into the Potomac River due to severe weather conditions, claiming 78 lives.
Meanwhile, rescue teams continue their efforts at the crash site, searching for additional remains and clues. The investigation is now focused on determining the precise cause of the collision and whether human error or technical failure played a role.
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