The News
Officials said they did not expect any survivors and would switch from rescue efforts to recovery after a plane carrying 64 people collided with a US Army helicopter in Washington DC late Wednesday.
US President Donald Trump said that the cause of the crash remained unknown in a statement at the White House Thursday, before criticizing federal diversity, equity, and inclusion programs.
The American Airlines 5342 flight had departed from Wichita, Kansas, and was attempting to land at Ronald Reagan International Airport at around 9:00pm when it collided with the Black Hawk helicopter, sending both aircraft into the Potomac River.
“At this point we don’t believe there are any survivors,” Washington Fire Chief John Donnelly told a news conference. “We are now at a point where we are switching from a rescue operation to a recovery operation.”
At least 28 bodies had been recovered from the aircraft by rescue teams who battled dangerous and freezing conditions in the hope of finding survivors.
The helicopter was a Sikorsky H-60 that took off from Fort Belvoir in Virginia with three US army personnel on board. A video clip posted online and reviewed by CNN appears to show air traffic control warning the helicopter about the plane, without receiving a reply.
Authorities are currently investigating the crash and all flights from Ronald Reagan International Airport were grounded.
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