(NewsNation) — Authorities continued a grim recovery operation early Thursday after an American Airlines regional passenger jet collided with a military Black Hawk helicopter at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, sending both aircraft into the icy Potomac River near Washington.
The mid-air crash occurred shortly before 9 p.m. local time Wednesday, shutting down the airport until at least 5 a.m. Friday (Jan. 31).
There were 60 passengers and four crew members aboard American Eagle Flight 5342, according to American Airlines. The FAA said the plane was a Bombardier CRJ700 that was arriving from Wichita, Kansas. Officials talked in terms of recovering the bodies of passengers, rather than rescues.
“When one person dies it’s a tragedy. But when many, many, many people die, it’s an unbearable sorrow. It’s a heartbreak beyond measure,” U.S. Sen. Roger Marshall, R-Kan., told reporters at a news conference at Reagan National Airport. “We’ve been through things like this before — through tornadoes and floods and things — but it’s really hard when you lose probably over 60 Kansans simultaneously.”
A U.S. Army official said the helicopter had three soldiers aboard. It was a UH-60 Black Hawk based at Fort Belvoir in Virginia.
“I have been fully briefed on the terrible accident,” President Trump said in a prepared statement late Wednesday. “May God Bless their souls. Thank you for the incredible work being done by our first responders. I am monitoring the situation and will provide more details as they arise.”
The National Transportation Safey Board was arriving on the scene to begin an investigation, while first-responders, including divers, continued their work in cold and windy conditions.
Wednesday’s disaster evoked memories of a deadly crash at the same airport on Jan. 13, 1982. An Air Florida jet crashed into a bridge after takeoff and fell into the Potomac, killing more than 70 people, including motorists. Four passengers and one crew member were rescued.
“We are shocked and saddened by the tragic accident at DCA tonight,” the Air Line Pilots Association said Wednesday, referring to Reagan National by its airport code name. “Our thoughts are with those affected by this tragedy.”
People who believe they have family members on board the flights and are looking for further information are asked to call 800-697-8215.
