In a tragic incident on Wednesday night, a midair collision occurred near Reagan Washington National Airport, resulting in the crash of an American Airlines regional passenger plane and a U.S. Army Black Hawk helicopter into the Potomac River.
The passenger plane had 64 people on board, including 60 passengers and four crew members, while the helicopter carried three soldiers from Fort Belvoir, Virginia. Emergency responders launched a massive search and rescue operation, diving into the cold, snow-lined waters of the Potomac. So far, 18 bodies have been recovered, and efforts continue to locate all survivors and victims.
U.S. President Donald Trump issued a statement expressing his sorrow, saying he has been \"fully briefed on the terrible accident\" and is \"monitoring the situation and will provide more details as they arise.\" Meanwhile, U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth took to X to assure the public that the Pentagon is \"actively monitoring\" the situation and stands ready to assist if needed.
Senator Roger Marshall of Kansas described the collision as \"nothing short of a nightmare,\" highlighting the unexpected nature of the tragedy. In a heartfelt message, American Airlines' CEO released a video statement expressing \"deep sorrow\" over the loss of lives.
The incident has raised questions about air traffic safety and the coordination between civilian and military aviation operations around busy airspaces. Authorities are continuing their investigations to determine the exact cause of the collision and prevent such tragedies in the future.
Reference(s):
Plane carrying over 60 collides with helicopter, crashes in Washington
cgtn.com
