As more information about the horrifying air catastrophe involving the collision of a commercial airliner with a helicopter becomes available, details are starting to surface.
After an American Airlines aircraft collided with a Black Hawk chopper over Washington, DC, on January 29, authorities fear that over 60 people have perished.
As law enforcement organizations from all over the region hovered over the scene to look for survivors, the event happened as Flight 5342 was getting ready to land at Ronald Reagan National Airport, which has suspended all takeoffs and landings.
Because both planes landed in the water after the incident, authorities conducted a massive search and rescue operation, looking for bodies in the Potomac River.
Although 28 dead have been found in the river thus far, more are anticipated.
Spencer Lane, 26, a member of the United States figure skating team, was among those known to have been on the flight.
He posted a particularly eerie social media post prior to the incident, just before departing from Wichita Airport in Kansas.
Around 7 p.m. ET on Wednesday, he posted a picture of the doomed plane’s wing from his window seat. He labeled it using the codes for Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport and Dwight D. Eisenhower National Airport in Wichita: ICT -> DCA.
It is also thought that other top-tier members of the American figure skating team were on the aircraft. They were anticipated to participate in the upcoming winter Olympics as well.
After visiting a National Development Camp for young skaters in Wichita, Kansas, they were heading back to the Washington, DC, region.
Authorities provided a sobering update on the event today, January 30.
“We are now at a point where we’re switching from a rescue operation to a recovery operation,” stated John Donnelly, the chief of fire and emergency medical services in Washington, DC, at a press conference.
“We don’t think there are any survivors from this accident as of yet.”
For the benefit of the American people, Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy has stated that the plane is in three parts and that the search will continue today.
Duffy added that it’s “not unusual with a military aircraft flying the river and aircraft landing at DCA” and that both planes were on “standard flightpaths” before to the crash.
All of the information currently available regarding the American Airlines plane accident
What led to the collapse of American Airlines?
The black boxes from the plane and helicopter are essential to determining what transpired before to the deadly accident, thus this is still up in the air.
At this point, all we know is that the passenger airliner was heading to land at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport when it crashed with the military helicopter.
Regarding the crash, what has American Airlines said?
In response to the incident, American Airlines CEO Robert Isom stated that he was traveling to Washington, DC, with a team of experts to support the inquiry.
“This is a challenging day for all of us at American Airlines, and our efforts are now fully focused on the needs of our passengers, crew members, partners, first responders, along with their families and loved ones,” the CEO said in a statement.
“I am aware that there are a lot of inquiries. I’ll be unable to respond to all of them at this early point, but I do want to share what I currently know.”
Regarding the American Airlines disaster, what has Donald Trump stated?
The incident, according to President Trump, was a “bad situation” that “should have been prevented.”
He said, “The airplane was on a perfect and routine line of approach to the airport,” on Truth Social.
“For a long time, the helicopter was flying directly toward the aircraft. The plane’s lights were blazing, and it was a CLEAR NIGHT. Why didn’t the helicopter turn or go up or down?
Instead of inquiring if the helicopter noticed the airliner, why didn’t the control tower instruct it on what to do? It appears that this unfortunate circumstance may have been avoided. Not good! This has been such a bad night. May God bless everyone.