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By Khaleda Rahman
National Correspondent
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Fatalities have been confirmed and no survivors found as a search and rescue operation remains underway in the Potomac River after an American Airlines plane with 64 people on board collided with an Army helicopter while landing at Ronald Reagan National Airport near Washington, D.C., on Wednesday.
There were multiple fatalities, but the precise number of victims is unclear as rescue crews continue to search for survivors, The Associated Press reported, citing a person familiar with the matter.
D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser declined to say how many bodies had been recovered from the river at a press briefing early on Thursday morning.
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Asked if there were any survivors, D.C. Fire Chief John A. Donnelly told reporters: "We don't know yet, but we're working."
The Context
The midair crash occurred before 9 p.m. local time when a Bombardier CRJ700 jet that had departed from Wichita, Kansas, collided with a Black Hawk helicopter on a training flight while on approach to a runway at the airport, the Federal Aviation Administration said.
An American Airlines spokesperson confirmed to Newsweek that there were 60 passengers and four crew members on the plane. Three soldiers were aboard the Army helicopter, according to the AP.
The incident occurred in some of the most tightly controlled and monitored airspace in the world, about three miles south of the White House and the U.S. Capitol.
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What To Know
About 300 first responders were on the scene, the AP reported. Inflatable boats have been launched and first responders set up light towers from the shore to illuminate the area near the crash site.
Donnelly told reporters that search and rescue efforts have been challenging.
The river is about eight feet deep where the aircraft crashed after the collision, he said.
"There is wind, there is pieces of ice out there, so it's just dangerous and hard to work in," he said.
"And because there's not a lot of lights, you're out there searching every square inch of space to see if you can find anybody. The divers are doing the same thing in the water. The water is dark, it is murky, and that is a very tough condition for them to dive in."
What People Are Saying
Mayor Bowser said during the briefing: "We're going to be out there as long as it takes, and we're obviously trying to get to people as soon as possible, but we are going to recover our fellow citizens."
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said in a post on X: "We are deploying every available U.S. Coast Guard resource for search and rescue efforts in this horrific incident at DCA. We are actively monitoring the situation & stand ready to support local responders. Praying for the victims and first responders."
Sen. Roger Marshall of Kansas said during the briefing: "When one person dies it's a tragedy, but when many, many, many people die it's an unbearable sorrow."
President Donald Trump said in a statement: "I have been fully briefed on the terrible accident which just took place at Reagan National Airport. 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."
What's Next
The search and rescue operation is ongoing.
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy told reporters early Thursday that efforts will be made to preserve evidence for an investigation into the incident.
Reagan National Airport will remain closed until at least 5 a.m. on Thursday.
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