No Survivors Expected After American Eagle Jet Collides With Army Helicopter At Reagan National Airport

The passenger jet was carrying 64 people; the Black Hawk helicopter had three soldiers on board.

A military helicopter and a commercial plane, collided over the Potomac River near Ronald Reagan Washington National (DCA)Airport on Wednesday, January 29.

American Airlines Flight 5342, arriving from Wichita, Kansas, was attempting to land when it collided with the Sikorsky Black Hawk Military helicopter. The commercial aircraft split in half, after it landed in about seven feet of water, NBC Washington reported.

The Bombardier CRJ700 was operated by PSA Airlines, a regional airline and a wholly-owned subsidiary of American Airlines.

“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,” John Donnelly, D.C. fire and EMS chief, said at Jan. 30 press conference.

Donnelly said 27 bodies had already been recovered from the passenger jet.

U.S. and Russian figure skaters and their families were on the jet The athletes were returning from a training camp held in conjunction with the U.S. Figure Skating Championships over the weekend in Wichita.

“The American Airlines flight coming in to land was in a standard flight pattern as it was coming into DCA, so this was not unusual with a military aircraft flying the river and aircraft landing at DCA,” Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said in a press conference.

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“Our concern is for the passengers and crew on board the aircraft ” American Airlines CEO Robert Isom said in a statement posted on the company’s website.

“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.”

DCA Airport is scheduled to reopen at 11 a.m. Eastern today.