American Airlines Jet And Military Helicopter Collide Mid-Air Over Washington DC.
An American Airlines jet has collided mid-air with a military helicopter in Washington DC, with both aircraft crashing into the Potomac River.
The commercial flight, which was arriving from Wichita, Kansas, had 60 passengers and four crew members on board, while the helicopter carried three US Army soldiers.
Emergency response teams, including around 300 personnel, are in “rescue mode” as police divers and boats search for survivors in challenging conditions marked by strong winds and darkness.
Authorities have confirmed to CBS News that 18 bodies have been recovered so far, though an official update on casualties is yet to be released.
Collision Occurred Near Reagan Washington National Airport
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) reported that the crash took place at approximately 9:00 p.m. local time as the American Airlines jet was approaching Runway 33 at Reagan Washington National Airport.
US President Donald Trump acknowledged the “terrible accident” and expressed gratitude to emergency responders for their swift and “incredible work” in the ongoing rescue efforts.
First Major US Commercial Air Disaster Since 2009
This incident marks the first major commercial airline crash in the United States since February 2009, when a Continental Airlines flight operated by Colgan Air crashed into a house while approaching Buffalo, New York, killing 49 people.
The last large-scale American Airlines disaster occurred in November 2001, when Flight 587, an Airbus A300 bound for Santo Domingo in the Dominican Republic, crashed shortly after takeoff from John F. Kennedy International Airport. The crash claimed 265 lives.
A notable aviation incident in 2009 involved a US Airways Airbus A320, which made an emergency landing on the Hudson River after both engines were disabled by a bird strike. Remarkably, all 155 passengers and crew survived.
Investigations into the cause of the Washington DC collision are ongoing, with the FAA and other authorities working to determine what led to the tragic mid-air crash.
