Updated at 12 p.m.
WASHINGTON – Authorities worked to recover the bodies of victims from the Potomac River on Thursday in the hours following a mid-air collision between an American Airlines passenger jet and a U.S. Army helicopter.
Emergency responders had pulled more than two dozen people from the plane and the helicopter, John Donnelly, chief of Washington, D.C.’s fire and emergency services, said in a Thursday morning press conference.
“We are now at a point where we are switching from a rescue operation to a recovery operation,” he said. “At this point, we don’t believe there are any survivors from this accident.”
The crash involved American Eagle Flight 5342, which was traveling from Wichita, Kansas, to this city on Wednesday night. The flight had 60 passengers and four crew members on board, according to the airline. The military helicopter had three people on board.
Shortly before 9 p.m. that night, the control tower at Reagan National Airport sounded the alarm, local officials said. This set off an immediate response from several emergency departments across the metropolitan area, including the fire department from the District of Columbia and harbor patrol fire boats.
Ultimately, more than 300 people responded from other local agencies, and worked through the night to find survivors, braving high winds and ice-covered waters. After hours of work, officials said, it became clear there were no survivors.
“We’re absolutely heartbroken for the family and loved ones of the passengers and crew members, and also for those that were on the military aircraft,” American Airlines CEO Robert Isom said. “This is devastating. We are all hurting incredibly.”
Isom confirmed the airline’s plan to cooperate with all investigations. The National Transportation Safety Board is now the lead agency on the investigation, D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser told reporters.
Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth said the U.S. Army and the Department of Defense are also launching investigations.
Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy said he believes the collision was “absolutely” preventable.
“Last night, it was a clear night,” Duffy said. “The helicopter was in a standard flight pattern. The American airline flight coming in to land was in a standard flight pattern as it was coming in to DCA,” as the airport is known.
Officials have located both aircrafts and are working to recover the fuselage of the plane.
“We will not rest until we have answers for the families, and for the flying public,” Duffy said. “You should be assured that when you fly, you are safe.”
Jack Potter, CEO of the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority, said the airport was resuming flights.
“It’s safe,” Potter said. “We’ve worked with all the federal agencies, the FAA. It’s been determined that we can operate that airport safely.”
Grappling with their first major tragedy, the Trump administration worked to reassure the public that it’s safe to fly.
“I can tell you with complete confidence,” Duffy said, “We have the safest airspace in the world.”
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