All 64 passengers have died in the accident between an American Airlines plane and a US Army Black Hawk helicopter near Reagan National Airport outside Washington DC. DC Fire and EMS Chief John Donnelly said that no one is likely to survive. Earlier, law enforcement sources also said that no one survived from the river. American Airlines Flight 5342 departed from Wichita, Kansas, carrying 60 passengers and four crew members. When the plane was approaching the airport, it collided with a Black Hawk helicopter, which was on a training mission. The death of three soldiers on board the helicopter has also been confirmed.

How did the accident happen?

According to the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), this accident happened when a passenger plane collided with a helicopter while landing at Reagan Washington National Airport. According to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), an investigation is being conducted into this accident. At present, takeoffs and landings of planes from the airport near Washington have been stopped.

Vice President tweeted

US Vice President JD Vance tweeted about this accident. Vance said, "Please pray for the people involved in the mid-air collision near Reagan Airport this evening. We are monitoring the situation, but for now we hope for the best."

Donald Trump was informed

US President Donald Trump said that he has been "fully informed about this horrific accident" that took place at Reagan National Airport. He said in reference to the passengers killed in the accident, "May God rest their souls." The passengers on board the plane included a group of figure skaters, their trainers and family members, who were returning from a training camp organized after the US Figure Skating Championship in Wichita.

Accident at a short distance from the White House

The accident took place in the world's most secured airspace, located about three miles south of the White House and the Capitol. Investigators will try to piece together the final moments before the plane collided, including contact with air traffic controllers and the passenger jet losing altitude.

1982 plane crash remembered

According to radio transponder data, this American Airlines plane was approaching Reagan National Airport at an altitude of 400 feet and a speed of about 140 miles per hour. It faced a rapid loss of altitude over the Potomac River. This was a Bombardier CRJ-701 twin-engine plane manufactured in Canada in 2004. It can seat 70 passengers. This incident is reminiscent of the crash of an Air Florida plane on January 13, 1982, which fell into the Potomac. 78 people were killed in that accident. The cause of that accident was said to be bad weather.