American Airlines plane crash update as officials believe there are ‘no survivors’
On Wednesday (29 January), an American Airlines plane collided with a military helicopter in a horror collision, with officials giving an update as the death toll rises.
The PSA Airlines jet (AA 5432), which had 60 passengers and four crew members on board, was landing at the Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport when it was struck mid-air by a Sikorsky H-60 military helicopter, carrying three soldiers on board, around 9.00pm local time yesterday.
According to witnesses of the devastating collision, both aircrafts subsequently plummeted into the Potomac River, with the plane said to have 'split in half', according to the Daily Mail.
Search teams, boats and helicopters have since been dispatched to the scene.
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The bodies of 27 passengers from the American Airlines jet and one from the helicopter it collided with have been recovered so far, a fire chief has said.
Speaking at a news conference today (30 January), DC Fire and EMS Chief John Donnelly said there are not believed to be any survivors from the collision and rescuers are now conducting a recovery operation.
"We are now at a point where we’re switching from a rescue operation to a recovery operation. At this point, we don’t believe there are any survivors from this accident," he said.
President Donald Trump said he has been briefed on the 'terrible accident'.
In a statement late on Wednesday, Trump thanked first responders for their 'incredible work', noting that he was 'monitoring the situation and will provide more details as they arise'.
"May God Bless their souls," he added.
However, on his social media platform, Truth Social, he listed what he believed had happened moments before the crash.
He penned: "The airplane was on a perfect and routine line of approach to the airport. The helicopter was going straight at the airplane for an extended period of time.
"It is a CLEAR NIGHT, the lights on the plane were blazing, why didn’t the helicopter go up or down, or turn."
He then queried the control tower and why the helicopter was not instructed to move out of the flight path of the plane, writing: "Why didn’t the control tower tell the helicopter what to do instead of asking if they saw the plane. This is a bad situation that looks like it should have been prevented. NOT GOOD!!!"
Meanwhile, American Airlines said its 'concern is for the passengers and assisting with emergency response efforts'.
"We are in contact with authorities and assisting with emergency response efforts. If you believe you may have loved ones on board Flight 5342, call American Airlines toll-free at 800-679-8215. Those calling from outside the U.S. can visit news.aa.com for additional phone numbers.
"Family members in Canada, Puerto Rico or the U.S. Virgin Islands can call 800-679-8215 directly."
Everything we know so far about the American Airlines plane crash
What caused the American Airlines crash?
This is still to be determined, with the black boxes from both the helicopter and plane vital to establishing what was going on in the build up to the fatal collision.
All we know at this stage is that the passenger plane and military helicopter collided as the plane was approaching Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport's Runaway 33 to land.
Has anyone on board the American Airlines flight been identified?
US Figure Skating, which is the American governing body for the sport, has announced that a number of athletes and coaches were on board the fateful flight.
Ice skating coaches Evgenia Shishkova and Vadim Naumov are said to have been among those skaters on board, according to Russian state media.
What has American Airlines' CEO said about the crash?
The CEO of American Airlines, Robert Isom, issued a response to the incident as he explained he was travelling to DC with a specialist team to aid the investigation.
In a statement, the businessman said: "This is a difficult day for all of us at American Airlines and our efforts now are focused entirely on the needs of our passengers, crew members, partners, first responders, along with their families and loved ones.
"I know that there are many questions. At this early stage, I'll not be able to answer all of them, but I do want to share the information I have at this time."
Dispatcher audio of aftermath of American Airlines crash released
Air traffic control audio has been released from the incident detailing the harrowing moment dispatchers witness the crash.
"The accident happened in the river. Both the helicopter and the plane crashed in the river," a man on the audio says. "It was probably out in the middle of the river. Um, I just saw a fireball and then it was just gone. I haven't seen anything since they hit the river.
"But it was a CR-J [the type of plane] and a helicopter that hit, I would say a half-mile of the approach."
Rhiannon Ingle