A devastating mid-air collision has left no survivors, as officials confirm all 67 individuals aboard two aircraft have died.
An American Airlines regional passenger jet collided mid-air with a U.S. Army Black Hawk helicopter on Wednesday night.
The collision occurred as the aircraft was approaching Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, sending both aircraft into the frigid waters of the Potomac River.
The passenger jet, operating as American Eagle Flight 5342, had departed from Wichita, Kansas, and was nearing its destination when the accident took place.
The U.S. Army Black Hawk helicopter involved was carrying three soldiers and was on a training mission at the time of the collision.
Rescue operations commenced immediately, with over 300 first responders deployed to the scene.
Officials have confirmed that there were no survivors from the passenger jet.
“Despite all those efforts, we are now at a point where we are switching from a rescue operation to a recovery operation,” said D.C. Fire and EMS Chief John A. Donnelly during a press conference Thursday.
He continued, “At this point, we don’t believe there are any survivors from this accident. We have recovered 27 people from the plane and one from the helicopter. The District Office of the Medical Examiner has the lead on reuniting these bodies and these people with their loved ones, and we will continue to work to find all the bodies, collect them, and reunite them with their loved ones.”
WATCH:
Young members of the U.S. Figure Skating Team and a renowned Russian figure skating couple were tragically among the passengers on a domestic flight from Wichita, Kansas, to Washington, D.C.
“These athletes, coaches, and family members were returning home from the National Development Camp held in conjunction with the U.S. Figure Skating Championships in Wichita, Kansas,” a statement by U.S. Figure Skating said.
A source told Reuters that as many as 15 people on the flight may have been involved in figure skating.
Renowned figure skating coaches and former world champions Yevgenia Shishkova and Vadim Naumov, were also among the passengers.
The couple, who clinched the pairs gold medal at the 1994 World Championships, had transitioned into coaching after their competitive careers and were based in the United States.
Their 23-year-old son, Maxim Naumov, is a U.S. citizen and competes internationally for the United States, having secured the U.S. national junior champion title in 2020. There are also fears that he may be among the passengers.
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