There are no believed survivors from the midair collision between an American Airlines plane and a military helicopter, Washington DC Fire and EMS Chief John Donnelly said early Thursday.
"The recovery operation goes on. It's a lot of touch and feel in the different parts of the plane and the helicopter, and the crash area is a little spread out. So we've got some work to do," Donnelly said.
Emergency crews continue recovery efforts after the passenger jet and the helicopter crashed into the Potomac River near Reagan National Airport in Washington, D.C., on Wednesday night. Media sources report that several bodies have been recovered so far, with approximately 300 first responders working on the operation. The crash site is located in a section of the Potomac River where the water is about eight feet deep.
The collision occurred at approximately 9 p.m. local time when American Eagle Flight 5342, which had taken off from Wichita, Kansas, struck a U.S. Army Black Hawk helicopter. The American Airlines jet was carrying 60 passengers and four crew members, while the military helicopter had three soldiers on board.
The U.S. Figure Skating governing body has confirmed that athletes, coaches, and family members were among those on the flight, having attended a national development camp held in conjunction with the U.S. Figure Skating Championships.
Russian state media has reported that former world champion figure skaters Evgenia Shishkova and Vadim Naumov were on board. The married pair won the 1994 world championship in pairs figure skating and had been residing in the U.S.
President Donald Trump reacted to the tragedy, stating that the crash "should have been prevented."
All takeoffs and landings at Reagan National Airport were suspended in the aftermath of the collision. The airport is expected to reopen at 11 a.m. EST at the earliest.
